Eyes Set To Kill
by Lady-Plague-6661
Summary: A young sociopath is targeted by none other than the Harlequin of Hate. But what happens once the truth comes out will shock everyone, especially the ones directly involved. A Joker story with a twist. The story of Aurora Jane Sykes. The Joker/ OC
1. Chapter One: Meet Aurora

**DISCLAIMER : I do not own anything relating to The Batman comics. They belong to DC and other respective owners. Aurora and any plot events you don't recognize, however, belong to me. No copyright infringement is intended, I just couldn't stop myself from writing this story. Enjoy. **

Chapter One: Meet Aurora

She snapped the blade open with a simple flick of her wrist, circling the sobbing woman in the chair in front of her. Her painted black lips curling into a vindictive smirk as she leaned down behind her victim, whispering in her ear with mocking sympathy.

"It's too bad about your husband, babe. It really was just a case of 'wrong place, wrong time'," The girl with the knife snickered, dragging the blade of her knife against the woman's exposed thigh. The woman in question had her eyes fixed on the man on the floor, bloody and lifeless.

"Please!" The woman exclaimed in agony as the knife dug deeper into her skin. "S-stop! What do you want from me?" She sobbed hysterically, her eyes locked in an unreturned gaze with her husband's.

"'Want from you'?" The woman withdrew her knife in a fit of maniacal laughter. "Oh, I don't want anything from you. I was just…bored," Again, the woman was cackling, but her knife was now trailing lightly across her captive's collar bone.

"A-are you going to kill me?" The middle age woman stuttered, her wide eyes staring at the large hunting knife in the girl's hand.

The younger girl grinned, twirling the knife through her fingers with a disturbing familiarity and skill before replying, "Eventually."

She approached the woman with a cruel determination, her emerald eyes shining with malevolence.

Eyes set to kill.

XXX

Aurora returned to her house that night in a rather cheery mood, humming Metallica songs under her breath as she headed to the bathroom. She turned on the stereo before stepping into the shower, throwing her ruined clothes in the trash bin. She scrubbed the blood of her latest victims off her skin with glee; Her blood lust fully sated.

What she told her victim was true. Aurora killed for nothing but the thrill of it. For her, there was nothing more exciting than playing with knives and dynamite. She preferred the former, loving the intensity that came from killing in such a personal way. The family of two she slaughtered meant nothing to her. She did not know them before the beginning of the night when she picked them up and she could hardly remember their faces now. The faces all blurred together at this point…

She wasn't always a monster. No, at one point she was a sweet little girl, with dreams and a conscious. Blood ran down her body in diluted streams, washing over the abundance of scars that marred her skin in various shapes and sizes. That was before the scars, of course. The day she received them had been her rude awakening to how unforgiving reality actually was. Since then, nothing really mattered to her.

She felt no guilt whatsoever when she had murdered her parents after she had received them. It was their fault, after all. She didn't stop there, though, not by a long shot. It was the most addictive feeling in the world, having that much power over another. And Aurora Jane Sykes was an addict.

But Aurora was over thinking of the past; no good ever came from it, anyway. She turned off the water, feeling clean and refreshed. It was hard labor hauling the bodies from the warehouse into the car, even more so when it came time to dump them in the river. She was always very careful to wear gloves, and when she didn't she put them in one of the many abandoned houses in the narrows and set it on fire. There were enough criminals around here that she would never be caught. An explosions or two was commonplace here in the slums of Gotham. It was even worse than it was when she arrived here eight years ago-scars fresh and her first two accounts of murder already under her belt. That could only be expected with the Joker running around the city like a mad man, blowing things up for the Hell of it.

It always amused her whenever she heard people talking about him on her rare excursions into Gotham. She tried staying away from the general population as much as she could manage. More often than not, someone would do something to annoy her and she always ended up dirtying her knife. She couldn't honestly say she wasn't happy with the latter, not when the thrill of fresh blood was as enticing as it was. They would talk about him in hushed whispers, often avoiding saying his name. Their fear for him was misguided, to say the least.

Sure, he blew up buildings at random and didn't appear to have a reason behind most of his…performances, but he shouldn't be the one having them quivering. If they just paid a bit more attention to the messages he was sending the city, they could see he wasn't as insane as they would like to believe. He was just trying to tear Gotham apart and they let him. They were so easy to manipulate, it was hardly a challenge. Even she saw it in her excursions. Once she waved a knife in front of someone's face they begin begging like coward, losing all dignity and self-respect. They grovel and plead, promising to do anything she wished just to be spared. It was pathetic, really. No, they shouldn't be afraid of The Joker; they should be afraid of themselves.

But that was enough about him, she thought. It was getting early, the first rays of sun already peaking through her room as she made her way into her closet. Although her house looked run down and worn on the outside like every other house on the filthy streets in this city, it was just a cover. She had enough money to move out of here long ago, however she stayed here for the cover and convince. No one asked questions in the Narrows, and if they were stupid enough to question her they were easily disposed of. Her room was well furnished, decorated in purples and blacks. She had a simple bed in the center of her room, king sized with the comforters ruffled from the night before. The left wall was lined with rows of dark wooden shelves. One side was full of books, and the other her music collection. In the back of the room, was her walk in closet. She would admit it shamelessly, she had a spending habit. She had the money to support it though, and that justified it in her eyes. Whenever she found the perfect pair of heels or a dress she knew she'd look amazing in, she simply could not resist the urge to buy it.

She deposited the dirty towels in the wash basket before putting on her customary sleepwear of a pair of shorts and a tank top. She pulled the blinds down, effectively blocking all sunlight from coming in before she snuggled into the familiar warmth of her bed. She knew she would fall asleep easily, her muscles burning in a pleasant way from that night's activities. She fell asleep with that twisted grin on her face as usual.

XXX

She stared into her vacant refrigerator with an agitated expression, her orange tabby cat winding through her legs. She paid no mind to Oli-her feline friend and only housemate. She was focused on her annoyance at having nothing to drink except for Sprite, which she only kept in the house to mix with Vodka. She did not remember polishing off the bottle of alcohol that had once been place in her cabinet. Either way, she knew that simply would not do and grudgingly went to her room to find something acceptable to wear to the liquor store a few blocks down the street.

In the end she decided on a simple black and white checkered skirt and a black polo. Having no patience for higher heels, she finished the outfit off with her favorite pair of Mary Jane's. She tucked one of her smaller switchblades into her garter belt before feeding Oli who was demanding to be fed before she left. Once she situated the kitten with it's saucer of milk, she headed off to get her own form of refreshment in the hard liquor section of the store.

Drinking was not usually a part of Aurora's schedule, but she would admit she always drank more in the summer months. They always brought up bad memories for her, and she often got as out of control as the heat if she let herself. That was something Aurora could not afford, not with her plans coming along so well. Aurora knew the day she got those scars that revenge would be her downfall in the end and she would be damned if she didn't go out with one hell of a bang.

All along, she has been plotting the day she'd extract her revenge. It started with daydreams and fantasies, nothing serious. The doctor's she had been forced to see told her it was normal to be angry and vengeful. She didn't tell them how violent they got at times, how sadistic. It wasn't information she shared with anyone, save her only friend, Jack…

But that was a story she didn't have time for. She was already half way down the street and she had to keep her guard up. It was almost midnight and being a criminal herself, she knew every street in the Narrows was a virtual hunting ground for all of Gotham's crazies.

She normally worked alone, but would acquire expendable help to carry out big jobs that needed more man power. But once in a while, if someone proved themselves to be extra useful, she would allow them to live. She didn't care what they did in the between time, but if she called on them the had to be there. If they weren't there the exact time she said to be there, plans were set into action to kill every family member they had left. All it took was a simple phone call. She couldn't afford to be anything else but ruthless; it was the only way things would get done. After a few years she now had as many as a hundred men and even a few women on her beck and call. All of them were willing to do whatever it was she asked because if they didn't, they knew she would have all of their love ones killed in brutal and degrading ways.

She never denied she had issues. It was what drove the fire within her. She had obtained almost all the information she needed about her targets to make her move and she already had all of the people the job would require. But she wouldn't make her move yet. There was something in her gut telling her it wasn't the right time. The timing was crucial for her plan to work and she would not mess up all her years of hard work with impatience. She wanted this to be the greatest account of fulfilled vengeance to ever be heard. She wanted everyone to know what would happen to you if you fucked with Aurora Jane Sykes.

By the time she reached the store, she had worked herself into a frenzy. She was biting the inside of her cheeks, her eyes fixed in a fierce glare. She all but stamped down the isle until she found what she wanted- ahandle of Jack Daniel's. Once she had the bottle in her hand, her violent mood had subsided a bit to allow rational thought. She decided to grad a bottle of Bacardi as well as orange juice to mix with the rest of the Sprite. Once she was at the counter she bought herself a carton of Marlboro reds and tried her hardest to ignore the sleazy leers the man behind the cash register shot her.

"That'll be a hundred twenty, miss. I'll need to see your driver's license, a pretty lil' thing like you," The middle aged man smirked, not even trying to conceal his lustful gaze at her chest. He couldn't help seeing her come in here like that, dressed in those tiny little skirts she wore and swinging them hips like that. He could ignore all the scars with a body like that. Her shirt showed the perfect amount of cleavage and he could see a lot with the couple of inches of height he had on her. Those dark red lips would look perfect wrapped around his cock. His dark, rough skin would feel so against her soft, alabaster curves. He wanted to grab her and fuck her on the counter.

She glared at the man as he shamelessly stared at her. She could practically hear the thoughts shouting from his gaze. Slowly his hand began to reach forward and she had had enough. The weight of the knife on her thigh felt heavy, her loyal friend aching to come out and play. But she wouldn't, not then. She needed to stay focused and control herself, she needed to relax. She slapped the money on the counter, not bothering to show the man her id as she snatched the bag and left the building in a fury. She ripped the seal off the bottle of Jack and began drinking in the parking lot, not caring what she looked like.

People like him were pathetic; she was young enough to be his daughter. She wouldn't even bat an eye if every single one of them dropped dead in an instant. The private smile on her face marked her as the true sociopath she was as she gripped the handle tight and light up a cigarette. To be honest, she was used to the staring. She hated how those dirty old men would look at her even if their wives were right there. It was disgusting and more often than not she made sure they paid for their actions. If there was one thing she couldn't stand it was an arrogant pervert.

By the time she arrived home, she had already taken a few shots of whiskey and was feeling much more relaxed. She walked into her house and didn't bother with the stairs. She grabbed a shot glass out of the cabinet and settled herself on the couch in the living room. Saturday Night Live played on the TV as she poured out another shot and drank it down. She opened the small wooden box on the table and withdrew a blunt she had rolled before she realized she had no alcohol to go with it.

By three she had smoked two blunts and finished both bottles of alcohol half way. The strange combination of the two had brought her to the door to her past and all the memories. She remembered Jack, as she always did. He was the only true friend she ever had, the only one that never cared about the scars.

She lit another blunt as she allowed herself to walk down the familiar path of Memory Lane. She remembered when she first moved here, when her scars were the freshest. She was fifteen when she killed her parents and moved in with her aunt. Nobody questioned their deaths. It was fire that burned away the house and all of its secrets. Everyone thought the mob burnt the house down after what they did to Aurora to finish the job. Nobody questioned the daughter with over three hundred stitches in her body and crutches. They just shipped her off to her only living relative willing to take her to "get a fresh start". But that was bullshit and everyone knew it, including Aurora. There wasn't a fresh start from this, she couldn't just start over. She was marked for life.

And they were right. She was marred, her once beautiful face ruined. But she wasn't bitter, not with her new nothing-matters-everything-sucks attitude. It was Jack that had taught her to accept them. He was her lab partner in the advanced chemistry class Gotham High School offered, as well as the two other advanced class she was in. There weren't that many kids in the higher level classes and Jack and Aurora has been the only outcasts amongst the others. Nobody liked Jack because he was confrontational, dark, quiet and rather sarcastic when he did talk. Nobody liked Aurora because the scars scared them along with my drastically obvious disinterest in anything anyone tried to say to her.

Their friendship began when they partnered up in Chemistry, due to their mutual abhorrence of the rest of the class. Both agreed that working with each other would be a more bearable experience than working with anyone else.

However, when Jack had come over to her house that day to work on their project, it had gone much better than anyone had expected. Her Aunt was a coke head, who had no problem with smoking in the house. Both teenagers knew the project would go much smoother once they had smoked the plant and would never turn the opportunity down. After smoking, all walls were gone and they found that they liked each other. Jack loved Aurora's bluntness and that twisted edge on her thoughts that reminded him so much of himself. Aurora found Jack hilarious and loved how she could have deep, intellectual conversations with him that left her feeling productive. Both loners were drawn together like they were never drawn to another before. They had always enjoyed being alone and found the company of others a waste of time, but somehow they both that spending time with the other wouldn't be the _worst_ thing in the world…

Soon they were inseparable. Every day they would walk to Aurora's house after school. They never went to Jack's. His father was abusive when drinking, and being the worst kind of alcoholic, that was all the time. Jack almost had as many scars on his body as she did, though none of them were quite as prominent as the one scaring her face. They drank, and smoked, took pills and other chemicals they should never put into their bodies. They stayed up late together and shared secrets. Jack often stayed over in the summer time, her aunt away and his parents toed across that dangerous ledge of control together, depending on the other to catch them if they fell. They managed to become inextricably intertwined together in an intricate web neither of them knew was possible.

Neither Aurora nor Jack had thought they were even capable of loving someone else. But fate had other plans and it was true. They had loved each other as only teenagers can. She grabbed the picture frame from the table, laughing though nothing was funny. Jack and Aurora were standing together, arms wrapped around each other, with Aurora sticking out her tongue and giving Jack bunny ears. Jack was kissing her cheek but still making eye contact with the camera, that gorgeous smile reserved only for her caught on film.

She really did love him.

She downed three more shoots, a steady stream of heat tears trailing down her face. The water spilt down the length of her scar and she could barely feel it. She barely felt anything anymore, only when she thought of Jack and how he got away. It really is the worst thing to love something death can touch. Jack Napier died in a massive conflagration, two nights before they had planned on running away together to elope. He died on my eighteenth birthday, a night we had been waiting on for months. We spent years collecting enough money to get out of Gotham once we were old enough to do so and have any hope of succeeding. It was ruined though, when Jack's house was burned to the ground, him trapped inside it.

She lost it after that since there was no one to keep the crazy at bay. There was no one to keep her in control and every instinct was followed without any thought of consequent. And that was how she became the monster everyone who came in contact with her believed her to be. The best thing was that she loved it. It was the most freeing feeling in the world when she just let go. She cared about nothing now. Nothing except maybe the purring kitten curled up in her lap. He was a wonderful companion to her, someone she could tell her secrets to without worry of judgment. Something she hadn't had since Jack.

She fell asleep on the couch that night, drinking until she passed out and smoking herself to hallucinate. She blamed the weed for the footsteps she heard and a hazy brain for the shadows. If only she had know it had been her past visiting her…

XXX

_Okay, so this is my first serious Joker story. I'm switching up my style and experimenting. So I hope you all enjoyed it and will stick with me on this. Chapter will usually be longer, this one was just sort of an introduction. Reviews would be lovely, but not necessary. I'd love to hear what you have to say about it. Until next time._

_Ex's and Oh's_

_Audrey V. Sullivan_


	2. Chapter Two : Tea Is For The Mad

She drew the oversized, black trench cloak closer to her body as she found herself once again walking in the streets pass midnight. She had to make it to that god awful club she had the misfortune of working at on time. She didn't need the job for the money, but for the information. Aurora worked down at the local strip club all the higher ranking mob members frequented. It was incredible the amount of valuable information she overheard when others paid no attention to her. No one thought to suspect the girl willingly taking off her clothes and giving them private lap dances. They discussed business as usually and fell willingly into her trap, having no inkling that they were helping seal their own doom.

She didn't mind taking off her clothes if it got her where she wanted. If anyone touched her, they were thrown out. She knew she could overpower anyone stupid enough to try something, and she was not worried. It helped that she wore a disguise, even when she was stark naked. When she danced, she wore a dirty blond wig of perfect ringlets and every scar completely vanished with the help of expensive make up. When she danced, it was nothing personal, it was just a necessary task to overcome to reach the ultimate goal.

The job was something she would hardly miss when it came to execute the plan. It was just a waiting game now, seeing when the best time to strike would be. Tonight would be a night just like all the others, impatiently ignoring the stares and cheering as she did her job, waiting to overhear anything useful. She knew exactly when to expect the more important members of the mob and she would make herself available for them. Once they got a good number of shots into them, they offered up precisely what she needed to hear without any encouragement from her. She simply fed them alcohol and danced when it was demanded of her. She kept them content and drank up everything they so willingly gave her. She knew the time to make her move would come soon and she was impatient as ever once she entered the club through the back entrance.

Her wig already on and scars completely covered, she greeted no one as she made her way into the dressing room. From twelve thirty to two, she would be serving drinks to the clients and taking requests if she was offered a generous amount of money. She took the stage at two-thirty and then worked in the VIP areas until the club closed. She only worked on weekends, when lips were the loosest.

She quickly changed into the close fitting, sheer dress all the girls wore while serving drinks. Her matching white bra and panties showing through. Innocence was the theme here, and Aurora faked it well once her scars were hidden. She put on her make up without even thinking about it, she did it so often she could focus on other things while she did it. She ignored the girls like usual, something she would have done even if her head wasn't pounding from the generous amount of alcohol she consumed last night. Slipping on the stiletto heels, Aurora made her way to the bar to stock up on drinks.

For the next hour and a half she would be lobbying drinks from the bar to the various tables surrounding the different stages. Her main goal was to make sure all the men were happy, because the happier they were the more likely they were to spend money. And money was the ultimate goal here at Cloud 9.

"What's good, Mal?" MJ, the barman, grinned. He worked here for at least five years now and out of all the girls that came and went here Mal had to be his favorite. She could tell she had spunk in her, a vibrancy that set her apart form the other girls. He always wondered what a girl like that was working here, when it was obvious she was destined for much bigger things.

Aurora did not flinch nor show indication of a mishap when the man behind the bar called her by the wrong name. Aurora went by Mallory Kane here, her dancing name was Malice. She dressed up in a baby blue corset with black leather and white lace straps. Her thong was lacy and black with a sheer blue skirt to go over it. Her theme was a naughty Alice in Wonderland which was unsurprisingly popular amongst the druggies that came in late when she performed.

Aurora smiled at the man as he finished stacking drinks on her tray, "Oh, nothing special, M. What tables do these go to?"

"The beers go to four and the champagne to the big party in the back," Aurora nodded as he told her where to go. She gave her friend behind the bar a quick wave before grabbing the tray and bringing it to the intended tables. She flirted with the small group of guys at the front of the stage, but they were more interested in the girls currently dancing on stage.

The rowdy group in the back was a much more interesting affair. There was a large group of men, about twenty, sitting in the largest booth in the club by the more private dance stage. They ordered two bottles of Crystal for what she was guessing a twenty-first birthday party for the Chechen's youngest son. She put on that charming smile, knowing she wanted to be invited to stick around. This could be the opportunity she needed for new information. She could only imagine what the young Chechen would let slip once alcohol loosened his lips.

She made sure to sway her hips in an exaggerated motion in order to gain the attention she wanted. She pouted her lips, focusing her eyes on his as she sauntered through the room. She stood in front of him, one hand on her hips and smirked, raising her eyebrow at him. "I believe this is for you?"

Aurora watched the man check her out with a calm expression, keeping perfect control of the situation. In seconds, he'd fall right into her web. "I definitely see something I like, baby. What's your name?" He smirked at her, obviously approving of what he saw.

"Malice," She made her voice low and sensual, choosing that moment to pop open the bottle of champagne. She poured the bubbly into the clear glass, keeping her eyes locked with his as she leaned in closer and brought it to his lips.

He kept his eyes opened as he took it from her, "Delicious,"

"Come see me on the main stage at two-thirty. I have a feeling you'll enjoy it," She laughed, turning away from him and only looking back at the doorway to blow him a kiss over her shoulder. She knew once he saw her dance she'd have him in the palm of her hands. After all, when Aurora wanted something, she got it.

She checked back in with MJ and once again had a full tray of alcohol in her hands. It was mind-numbing work most of the time, seeing as she paid no attention to the regulars. All she cared for was information, and there was no one in this club she had not already spoken to that could give her anything of value.

Nothing note-worthy happened until it was five minutes before she was due in the dressing room to get ready for her dance. Her last delivery for the night was to the small table directly in front of the main catwalk. The man sitting alone at the table was the picture-perfect example of sketchiness. He wore an oversized black zip-up hoodie and baggy work jeans. His shoes were leather and looked costume made. The hood fell down over his eyes and covered the majority of his face, the dim light in the club helped nothing. She could see unruly dirty-blond curls peaking over the length of his slumped shoulders.

"Jack?" Aurora asked, holding the shot glass full of whiskey out to the man. She noticed his shoulders tighten with tension as she spoke. She picked up on every detail; her occupation was a precise business that did not have room for error. Every last detail must be examined, and picked up on. One never knows what will be important in the end. His stiffness was replaced by a wide grin she could just barely make out on his shadowed features.

He reached out for the drink without hesitation, allowing his fingers to skim against hers for the briefest of seconds. He retracted them and his drink in one fluid motion, downing the shot with ease.

"Thanks, _Doll_," The man snickered, lazily drawing out the "doll". He licked his lips in a hungry way that made her skin crawl. His voice was familiar in a way she couldn't place. She remembered it from somewhere but couldn't remember exactly where. She did, however, know that his grin was creepy and she wanted to be as far away from him as possible.

She flashed him a dazzling smile, not betraying her sudden uneasiness. "Make sure you stay around for the show. I go on in ten,"

She made a quick escape to the dressing rooms, not looking back once. She knew it was irrational to feel this way. She could take down a man three times her size with her bare hands. She spent years on end training for her revenge and she was in fit state. But she could tell that there was something off about that man; all the bells and whistles were going off in her head.

She got dressed quickly, pushing all thoughts of the man behind her. She had a mission to get the young Chechen to pay attention to her tonight. He could prove himself very valuable if she just found the right way to work him. That was the thing though, everyone can crack, but they all do so in different ways. All she needed to do now was find out what kind of man he was, and she could do all that just by watching him react to her dance. She'd know exactly how to push him once she knew that.

She quickly went into the bathroom and changed into a different wig. It was pin straight and golden blonde, reaching half way down her back. She coated her lips with a final coat of cherry red gloss before she heard the intro to her song come on. She took a deep breath before pulling the curtain and faking another flawless grin. It was show-time.

XXX

The music finally began and the spotlight followed the pale girl in blue until she reached the pole. Her hips swayed to the fast beat, as she sauntered down the catwalk. The man watched her grab the pole with confidence, swinging one leg around. Facing the front once again, she began lowering herself and running her hands over the soft curves of her body. His intent gaze never left her body as she began swinging around the pole in an experienced fashion. He ignored the familiar twitch in his pants as he witnessed how flexible she was.

She was on her hands and knees now, crawling over to the Chechen's youngest son. She knelt in front of him, hips still swaying to the beat, as she began unlacing her corset. As she began climbing up the pole, now in nothing but a bra and panties, she paid no attention to the man gazing at her intently. After all, this was a strip joint and she was working the main stage; all eyes were expected to be on her or she wasn't doing her job right.

He couldn't believe it was her, when he first came into this place three weeks ago. The scars were completely vanished and her hair wasn't the same fiery red he had remembered. But the eyes were all her, and there was no hiding that. He followed her back to her house that night and once she showered he was positive it was the same girl from his youth. Once all the make up was washed off, every scar was visible, the mass of blond tendrils was nothing but a charade. The girl who danced in front of him was the very same from his past, the one he once knew in every sense of the word. But as she danced and twisted and began removing articles of clothing one-by-one, she had no idea who he was truly was. Their encounter earlier had proved that. No, Aurora had no idea he was here or what he had planned. She continued her dance, oblivious to man and his double identities, unaware the of danger every second brought closer.

XXX

"People really are fucking worthless these days, Oli," Aurora exhaled her problems, running her fingers their the content kitten's soft fur. Venting to her feline friend before bed was a nightly ritual for her. "The Chechen is fucking disgusting. I wish I could cut that smug smirk off his face, but I can't go messing up the plans now, can I?"

Oli did not answer his master or make any motion to acknowledge he heard anything at all. He laid curled up in a tiny ball on his owner's chest, purring contently. Aurora did not mind the silence; it was what she loved most about venting to her furry little friend.

"That's exactly right, Oli!" Aurora exclaimed, petting her cat on the head as she took his loud purring as his statement of approval. "Nothing can get in the way of the plan,"

It should worry her that her only friend was the little kitten, and that she spent so much time confiding in him. However, it didn't bother her in the slightest, she detested the majority of the human race with their paltry goals and morals. They all so thought so fucking highly of themselves, when they're really nothing but common gutter rats. They disgusted her and she had no interest in making personal connections with any of them. The only person she hadn't detested, the only one on the same level as her, had been gone for many years now. It was only once he was taken from her she saw how fake every single one of them was, how trivial and naïve. It was only then that she couldn't stand to talk to most people for more than a few minutes before she felt like cutting out their tongues. No, she was more than okay with Oli being her only companion.

She sighed heavily, staring at her kitten determined to make him speak. That was the only thing she missed about human communication-a response. She shook her head, blaming the late hour to be the reason behind her stranger-than-usual behavior. She gently placed the sleeping cat on the pillow next to hers and leaned over to turn off the light. Once she was settled and placed in the most comfortable position she could find, she feel asleep in minutes.

XXX

She was insane; he was more than sure of that by now. He had been following her around for weeks and that was the most important thing to be known about Aurora. She was absolutely insane. But he loved it, just as he always had. It was what made her so different, not the scars but that bizarre and twisted way her mind processed things. It seemed, however, to jump to a much higher level since he saw her last. When it came to killing, she was just as brutal as he was and far more vindictive. It was never anything personal for her, and he could tell that, but in that exact instant she made the lethal slash her eyes would light up and he could see the devastation smoldering behind her emerald eyes, waiting to be released. It that single second, he saw that it was pure hatred that fueled her actions. There was a desperate yearning for revenge.

And he loved it. Because if there was one thing he could understand it was revenge.

He had watched her lay in bed talking to her cat from his hiding spot in the closet. Once he was sure she was fast asleep he traded his cramped spot to a much more preferable one the foot of her bed. He sat there admiring the peaceful expression on her face as she dreamt for hours, thinking about the past more than he had in a very long time.

He could just barely remember the night he saw her last. Through years of suppression it nothing more than hazy clips and pieces now. He remembered Aurora though, laying just as she was then, arms open and empty searching for the boy that once held her while she slept every night.

But things had changed. She had changed and so did he. She wouldn't even recognize him now, sitting here perched on her bed , when she had once known every last detail of his face better than her own.

If only thing had been different then. If only he had stayed with her like he promised…

His thought were cut off instantaneously by a slight shifting of the bed, a groggy groan from the young woman only inches away. His signature smile painted on his face, he retrieved the knife from his jacket waiting for her to awaken. Licking his lips he smirked to himself, _let the games begin. _

He felt her pause and in a split second she was sitting upright, holding a knife close to his face. Her glare was intense but he didn't flinch. He only placed the blade of his knife against her throat, his grin broadening.

"Well, well, well," She grinned sarcastically, keeping her knife against his throat as well. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Oh no, _Doll_. I'm here on strictly business," The Joker replied in his lazy drawl. Aurora recognized him as the man in the bar that night, the one that had creeped her out. It all made sense then, why such an ordinary man would freak her out so much, he wasn't normal. He was a homicidal maniac, a sociopath, and just as insane as she was, if not more.

She pushed his hand away and was standing before he could even blink, much faster than he had anticipated. However, once she was standing she made no further movement and was looking at him expectantly. "Well are you coming or not? I don't discuss business is the bedroom," She shrugged nonchalantly entering the hallway but leaving the door open.

Strange, he thought as he followed her into the kitchen. He sat down on one of the higher bar stools without asking permission, observing her closely as she moved around the small space. She put the kettle on the stove and placed one mug on the opposite side of the table, holding the other one out to him. "Tea?" She asked with a bored expression, placing her still open knife on the table beside her.

Smirking, he took cup from here and placed his knife of the table as well. "So, Aurora, is it?" He asked with a confident tone, knowing he would catch her off guard with all the information she had on it.

"So, you've done your homework, have you?" Her tone was bored, as if none of this mattered to her. And the thing that interested him most was the fact she was completely unafraid of him. He had half this town afraid to even say his name and here she sat, having tea with him as if it was commonplace. "Well, what do you want then?"

"I require your…assistance," The Joker answered, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he went over the plan. For someone for abhorred the very thought of organization, he had this one down pat and he knew it.

"Let me get this straight," She started, looking slightly amused now. "The Joker is asking for my help? This is priceless," She chuckled to herself as she placed a tea bag in both of their cups before pouring out the steaming hot water. "So what is it you need me for, exactly?"

She decided there was no harm in asking, though she highly doubted she'd take up the offer no matter what it was. She preferred to work alone. She was the only person she could count on not to fuck things up, and there was no reason to go adding other variables which could interfere with the plan.

"I need someone without morals. Someone who will burn this city to the ground with me. So what do you say, Aurora? Will you help me?" He asked casually, drinking his tea even though it was much too hot.

"What makes you think I'm just going to drop everything to come work with you?" She snorted in an un-lady like fashion and blew on her tea to make it the perfect temperature.

"Oh, I don't think you'll come, doll. I _know_ you will," His arrogance annoyed her. Who exactly did he think he was and what the hell did he think he "knew" about her?

"And what makes you so sure, then?"

"I know you better than you think, Aurora," His reply was quick, her ignorance was amusing him to no end. If only she opened her eyes and really looked at him, she would why he was so certain.

"Oh, really? Prove it," She retorted smugly, certain he would know nothing worth interest. She had burnt every record of her existence to the ground. It was impressive that he had found her name, but she knew nothing of her old life was left to find. "Go on then, if you're so sure. Tell me something about me," She waved her hand in encouragement, leaning back in her chair.

He raised his eyebrow at her, mirroring her position in the chair. He was making himself far too comfortable in her home for her liking. But she would not push it, she wanted to know exactly what this clown knew about her. She needed to know what she was up against.

"Your full name is Aurora Jane Sykes. Born on October 31, 1981 to David and Allison Sykes. You moved into the Narrows with your aunt when you were fifteen years old. You work at Cloud 9. You keep a journal under a floorboard in your bedroom that records every murder you've ever committed. A very interesting, read, by the way. Shall I continue?" The Joker finished, sipping the steaming liquid smugly.

She kept her face composed, not a single emotion displayed on her features. She was shocked, to say the least, and definitely on guard. The man before her knew more than he should and she didn't like it one bit. She stared at him intently, trying to figure out the point of all this. Why would someone as acclaimed as he was take an interest in her? It didn't make sense to her and she decided she needed to know before she thought of any sort of partnership.

"Why are you so interested in me? I'm sure you could easily find anyone else to help you with your plan. So why do you need _my _assistance?" She questioned bluntly, keeping her gaze locked on his.

"I've been watching you, and I like what I see. You live without rules and take what you want when you want it. You see the world for what it is and you use it to your advantage. I need someone like you at myself when I burn this place to the ground. I want someone there who will laugh at the destruction they've caused without a hint of regret," He told her, honesty shining through his painted features. She sat there unmoving, contemplating his words and her options.

The clock on the stove read five fifteen and the sky was still dark, the sun yet to make it's debut in the morning sky. The two sociopaths sat in silence, both sipping their tea and summing up the other. Aurora did not know what to think of the man sitting in front of her. Sure, she had heard of him by now and all the things he had done. She knew he was ruthless and most thought him completely insane. But as he spoke to her, she found something to eerily familiar in the way he held himself. Something she knew she should ignore, but couldn't. There was something about this man that intrigued her, a dangerous feeling in the pit of her stomach making her more reckless than usual.

After ten minutes of neither of them making a sound, The Joker stood up, placing his signature card on the table. "Think about it," he stated, picking up his knife and leaving the young girl at the table.

And she was thinking about it, way more than she should. She was actually thinking about taking up the offer, but if she did it would be on her terms, not his. With a smirk of her own, a new plan already forming, she placed the dirty dishes in the sink. She set off to her office, taking the words on the playing card into consideration as she plotted.

On the card, in surprisingly neat handwriting, was a date, time and simple message. _Look your best. _Oh, she planned on exactly that. If there was one thing Aurora was certain about it was The Joker had no idea what he had just gotten himself into.

XXX

She was overdressed, but that was point. The Joker wanted her to look her best and she outdid herself this time. The men inside the building, the very men she was after, would be eating out of the palm of her hand once they saw her. She was cocky, but she could afford it. She had worked it out perfectly and was a hundred percent confident today would turn out exactly how she planned it.

The dress came down two or three inches above her knees in a form fitting pencil skirt. The top half of the dress was cut in a low square neckline and it laced in the back like a corset. The dress itself was made of crimson silk with a black, lacy mesh design sewn over it. Her naturally brick red hair fell down to her lower back in elegant waves. Her simple black pumps added a necessary four inches to her height. Her eye make up was dark and her squinted eye lids made her pupils look black. Her crimson painted lips curled around a cigarette as she leaned against the brick building, nonchalantly. Every scar was hidden, she couldn't risk the man who gave them to her recognizing them.

She pulled on her cigarette slowly, not caring if she was already ten minutes late to the meeting. Frankly, she didn't a rat's ass about the meeting. None of this effected her. She was only here for the information and to maintain appearances. To the men inside she was not Aurora nor Mallory, she was Scarlet and they feared her. She was not apart of the mob but she did often do "business" with them. She was respected and made it perfectly clear not to fuck her over. She was invited to all their important meetings and quickly making a name for herself under another false identity.

She stomped the cigarette out with her heel, securing all three knives she had on her person before heading toward the back entrance. The meeting was already in full swing, over twenty high ranking people in all different families in the mob being represented. A TV screen with Lau's plan for their money was placed on the table everyone sat around. Everyone turned their head to the late entrance and she smirked to herself as she saw more than a couple men gazing at her longingly. She took her spot near Maroni and his men, placing herself on the chair in a way that flattered her curves.

It wouldn't be long now, she told herself. From the looks she was still receiving, she knew it was true. She heard a startlingly familiar laughter from the door and she felt her grin stretch involuntarily as The Joker made his grand entrance.

"And I thought my jokes were bad," The Joker wheezed, taking a seat at the end of the table. Aurora noticed his eyes flicker to hers discreetly every once in a while he spoke.

She couldn't deny she was impressive by his "magic trick", she knew how much force it would require to stab through someone's skull with such a dull object. His little stunt was more than enough to reassure her decision to meet him at the designated place tonight.

As he talked of killing the Batman, she knew exactly what plan he needed help finalizing. Studying The Joker as she had been, she knew he would want to finish him with the largest bang yet. And she knew that she was the one for the job. She knew she would be able to finish off hers as well, the perfect plan was already forming in her head and it was better than anything she had ever done before, much bigger and public.

"Attt-tah-tah, let's not _blow _things out of proportions," The Joker threatened, opening his coat to reveal many grenades and explosives as Gambol placed a price on his head.

She knew that he would be the perfect person for the job. With him helping her, she knew anything she thought up was possible and she liked not having limits. She smirked to herself remaining calm and seated as the rest of the men jumped to their feet in a panic; she knew he wouldn't blow the building up with her inside it. He seemed adamant on getting her to work with him the other night. There was something inside of her telling her to go for it, to forget reasoning and give herself to a destiny she was not aware of yet.

She left the meeting, already on her way to the meeting spot. A malign glimmer in her eyes as her mind rushed with all the possibilities this new partnership could bring her.


	3. Chapter Three : Let The Mind Games Begin

"Ah, Aurora. _Precisely_ on time…"The Joker snickered loudly as Aurora's thick heels clacked against the cracking cement, signaling her arrival.

Aurora held a smirk of her own as she entered the previously abandoned warehouse, the weight of her several knives strapped to her body provided comfort as she made her way into unknown territory. Once she had gotten used to being in the Joker's presence, she noticed a muscular man tied up to a chair and blindfolded. He had thick brown hair that was matted with sweat and blood, with several cuts marring his exposed skin. She raised her eyebrow at the prisoner, questioning his purpose but already developing a gut feeling.

She switched her concentration to the Joker, still not a hundred percent on how to carry herself around him. She in no way, shape or form trusted him yet and she doubted she ever would. "How predictable," She stated as a greeting, her tone bored and guard up.

"Oh, I think you'll be surprised, doll," Came the Joker's reply as he stepped toward, twirling a large knife between his hands. He only stopped once he stood directly in front of her, staring down at her with anxious eyes and an ominous grin.

"Is that so?" She arched her eyebrow with the question, resting her hands on her hips and waiting for him to continue. She couldn't be surprised if she was expecting anything and nothing at the same time. Yes, he had done some powerful and impressive things, but nothing truly _surprising_.

He cleared his throat, leaning against a cement column, only a few feet away from the captive. The forty or so men she assumed to be his followers waited further away, and eyed Aurora curiously, as she spoke calmly to the Joker. This tiny little girl was talking to him with ease and familiarity, and they all broke into a sweat if his attention was on them. Anyone who could hold up a conversation with the Joker and not think twice about it as she was doing was someone who should not be messed with.

"If we're going to work together, I have to be positive you have what it takes. You'll have to show these men, too. If you pass this little…_test_, they'll be at your mercy as well," The Joker spoke eagerly to Aurora, gesturing to the man gagging and struggling against the rope that bound him.

"I want you to demonstrate just what exactly happens if someone crosses you," The Joker explained, walking up behind the man and motioning for Aurora to come closer. She did so cautiously, his enthusiasm unsettling to her.

"I want zero mercy, Aurora," The Joker purred, his voice only loud enough for her to hear. His dark painted eyes pierced through hers as he ripped off the blindfold and cut the rope silencing his screams. Aurora barely caught the knife he chucked at her as she continued to stare the man's newly revealed face.

He stepped back from Aurora and resumed his leaning position on the pillar, claiming the best spot for this evening's show. Aurora recognized the man in an instant, but was determined to keep a completely blank face. If he wanted no mercy, than he would get it. She did not need to prove herself, but she would exceed his expectations.

She glanced at the Joker discreetly as she began circling her prey. The man he chose was worrying, and definitely was as surprising as he had promised. She had not seen Tyler Delcotta since her senior year of High School, but she would never forget his face. He had brought out Jack's darkest colors and the long scar that ruined his once handsome face was a reminder of her mistake.

But only three people knew the truth of what happened between Aurora and Tyler in the backseat of his mustang convertible. Only Jack, Aurora, and Tyler knew the story behind his scars; it was the condition in which Jack let him live. As she gently cut little slits on Tyler's shoulders and back, she focused on The Joker, questioning him with her eyes.

_Why him? What are you trying to tell me?_

However, she asked nothing and once she settled herself in front of Tyler, bending down until she was eye level. She cut gentle, teasing cuts up his naked thighs as she gazed into his face playfully. She knew him, yes. But that sure as hell didn't mean she wasn't going to enjoy this.

"A-Aurora, please don't," Tyler begged, choking on his fear as he recognized the girl cutting in to him as a former lover. She smiled at him then, as if his pleading had pleased her and angered her at the same time.

"Don't do _what _,Tyler?" She asked him in a seductive voice, pressing her body to his as she whispered into his ear. "This?" His scream was agonizing as she shoved the blade of her knife through his hand and wood of the armrest.

She shushed him, pulling two knives from under her dress and driving one into his other hand. The on looking men watched the girl torture the man in horror, turning him on and then rewarding him with excruciating pain. The Joker, however, never stopped watching. A hint of a smile curved his face as he watched Aurora work with interest.

"W-why are you d-do-do-"Aurora cut off his failed, gurgled attempt at talking. She stood bent down in front of him, the blade of the knife resting against the side of his throat.

"Why am I doing this to you?" Aurora offered, looking at the man as if they never met. He always had and always would be nothing to her.

"You see, Tyler," Her tone was casual as she kneeled on the chair in the gap between his legs, coming closer to him. On instinct and with the still excruciating pain radiating through his entire arm, he tried to jerk away.

_Wrong move._

Before he even knew what was happening, she had extracted another knife and slashed into the back of his knees. "Stop. Moving." She ordered in a sickly sweet voice, punctuating each word with twin cuts. Two across his thighs and two at the bends of his elbows.

"Now…as I was saying," She shot a pointed look at the man trying desperately not to move beneath her. "This," She waved her stained knife in front of his face. "This, is nothing personal. Sadly enough for you, this is just business as usual,"

She backed up from him, arms crossed and hands still flicking the knife. A concentrated look of deliberation sat on her face as she continued to stare at him. She finally settled on a fate fitting enough for Tyler Delcotta and she was planning on taking full advantage of his lack of clothing.

"We're going to play my favorite game, Tyler. It's call silence. If you make a single noise…you're dead," Aurora told him with a cold smile, speaking quietly as if he was the only one on the room. But no matter how hard she tried to tune it out, she could feel The Joker's eyes scrutinizing her every move.

"Do you understand, Tyler?" She asked sweetly, retrieving a small vial of bright magenta liquid. He nodded quickly, knowing the outcome of this game would determine if he lived or died.

"Good. Now this right here, will make sure you don't cheat by passing out from blood loss," She taunted him, forcibly feeding him the liquid. "Now that that's settled…" She trailed off, sauntering to her victim with malicious intent.

"_Let the games begin, yeah?"_

XXX

"Oh, and Tyler you were doing so well," She snickered, drinking in his agonizing scream as she slashed across his stomach. She could tell each labored breath shot unbearable pain throughout his body and she loved it.

She sliced through the skin on his chest and collar bone for good measure. "But I'm afraid you've lost our little game, dear," She reminded him cheerfully, rubbing the scratchy lace of her dress against his body, making his plethora of cuts sting and burn.

Aurora made herself comfortable kneeling over him, getting in close enough so only Tyler could hear. She made sure to fling her hair over the shoulder facing the Joker, just in case he could read lips. This was her favorite part of the killing process, the one last emotional torment that would hurt worse than any cut she could create. This is what got her adrenaline pumping, this is what she thrived on.

"If only you got me this turned on in bed, Tyler. Maybe I'd spare you. But you have a bigger pussy than I do, baby. Now fucking scream like one," She cackled manically, watching the wheels turn in his head as he pleaded for his life with the little energy he had left. They had once been as close as humans can be, she had known this, but still she tortured him without a drop of mercy.

Growing tired of his begging and screaming, she gently glided the tip of her largest, most jagged knife to the base of his testicles. Once he had realized what she was doing, his eyes widened larger than saucers and he sobbed like a little girl. "No, NO! PLEASE! DON'T! NO!"

"Oh yes, Tyler," she chortled, plunging the knife into his most delicate skin and tearing upward.

The other men in the room turned away, unable to watch a second longer as she ripped through the man's genitals all the way up into his stomach. She twisted and stabbed until he was torn open, guts pouring out and a river of blood flowing on the cement underneath his lifeless body.

Aurora wiped the blade on the hem of her ruined dress and stuck it back into it's rightful place. She wiped her hair out of her face, unconcerned with the smeared trail of blood it left on her cheek.

"So…"She began, spinning around until she was face to face with the Joker. "Did I get the job, or what?"

He kept her gaze for a minute, his expression totally blank. "Welcome to the team, _Doll,_" He finally stated, followed by a fit of his signature laughter. He offered her a gloved hand and she took it without hesitation; Neither of them cared if her hand was still dripping blood.

Business as usual for Gotham's criminal masterminds.

XXX

"We're not bringing the cat, Aurora," the Joker ordered flatly, incredulous Aurora thought she was going to bring that _thing _to headquarters.

"Actually, we are," Aurora countered, turning around with the kitten in her arms and glaring sternly at the Joker. He had already talked her into moving to headquarters, she would be damned if she left Oliver behind, too. "If he's not going, neither am I,"

The Joker simply rolled his eyes but said nothing more. Aurora smiled triumphantly to herself, putting the kitten into his traveling cage. "Are you done now?" He asked grudgingly, eyeing the cat with disdain.

Looking around to make sure she had gotten everything she needed for the move, Aurora shook her head at him. "Yup. Let's go," still smiling, she grabbed a few suitcases and Oliver's carrying cage.

The Joker grabbed the remaining suit cases and followed Aurora out of her apartment. They left through the back doors, The Joker's make up was still on and conspicuous as ever. They loaded her luggage into a nondescript black SUV quickly, leaving Aurora's home for the past few years far behind her.

It was on Aurora's request that only the Joker was to come back to her apartment with her to gather her belongings. After her little demonstration, The Joker had proposed the idea of her moving to Headquarters in order to make business easier. Aurora suspected it was just to keep an eye on her, which was exactly why she accepted-to do the same thing with him. She would take advantage of the fact they were alone. More than a few questioned needed to be answered before the ride was over.

"How long is the drive?" Aurora asked, breaking the awkward silence building between them.

"Forty minutes," The Joker answered, taking his eyes off the road to look at the girl sitting next to him. She had taken a shower at her apartment, erasing all traces of the blood that covered her head to toe an hour previously.

"Just long enough to play a game then," She smiled to herself mischievously, sitting up straighter in the passenger seat.

"What kind of game?" He sighed, more than sure he knew where this was going.

"A question game, of course. There are some things I need to know," She explained, turning all the way in her seat until she was facing him, an advantage he wouldn't have.

"We're allowed to pass on any questions we want. Only one question at a time," The Joker set the terms, glancing at her skeptically once again. There were things that Aurora did not need to find out then, if ever.

"Alright. I'll go first," Aurora grinned, ecstatic he was playing along. It was more than she had expected. "How long have you been following me?"

He stole another glance, his dark eyes seething with something she couldn't comprehend. "About a month," He answered simply, a private grin on his face at the joke she stood no chance of picking up on.

"Why?"

"Ah-ah-ah, It's my turn," He smirked, trying to decide which question to ask first. He knew the answer to most of the things he wanted to ask her. He simply wanted to see her reaction when he asked. "What did you say to _our friend _Tyler back there?"

She pursed her lips, annoyed he didn't answer her second question but not honestly believing she could trick him. Aurora kept her eyes on the blurring buildings in the window, directly over The Joker's shoulder as she tired to find the best way to answer without saying too much.

"I like to mess with their heads before I kill them, break them from the inside as well as out. I knew Tyler, and I decided to make it extra…_painful_ for him," She told him, still avoiding eye contact. Regaining confidence once she thought of the perfect question, she returned her calculating gaze to his face. She could see patches of skin where the make up wore off and it only made her resolve stronger.

"So, what's with the whole Joker persona?" She asked, and he could tell she was not mocking him. The only drive behind her question was curiosity, unlike many of the others who asked.

"People fear what they can't understand and Gotham doesn't see the humor in their situation. I'm just trying to show it to them" He replied simply, as if he answered the question many times. Aurora figured he had.

Aurora squinted her eyes at him, trying to get a better understanding. Everything he did was a scare tactic meant to reveal irony of some sort. It was a concept she couldn't quite grasp, but the more she observed The Joker the more clear it became. She wasn't sure if she should be relieved she understood or if she should be afraid for the little sanity she had left.

"What's with the job at Cloud N9ne? I've been in your place, you don't need the money," He questioned, turning on the wipers as the first drops of rain hit the windshield.

"It's a wonderful place to gather information on the enemy," Aurora shrugged, not caring if he passed judgment on her second profession. After all, it was just a means of perfecting the master plan.

"The enemy?" The Joker asked, furrowing his eyebrows and sneaking another questioning look,

"No, no, no. It's my turn," She teased, imitating his voice. "Do you have a name? 'Joker' is going to get annoying to say,"

"Pass," He asserted immediately, but continued as Aurora began to protest. "But you can call me J,"

"J…hmm. Alright, I'll settle for that. Your turn," She ushered him, crossing her legs and leaning on her knees, palms holding her face.

His eyes were on the road, but his attention was on his peripheral sight. Aurora's body language was alarming, she looked far too comfortable. She was leaning toward him, and he was sure she didn't even notice she was doing it. Her relaxed behavior around him was unnervingly familiar and something unheard of since he received the scars. It angered him how comfortable she was; it made the fun part of this job a little less fun.

"How'd you get those scars?" The Joker questioned, taking a chance to look at her makeup less face. Not a dab of concealer to be found, the moonlight and lampposts cast an eerie glow across her face, bringing the long scar into focus.

"Mob," She returned, uncaring. Talking about her scars was something she had to deal with whenever she didn't wear make up. It didn't bother her anymore, but it was tiring. "My parents owed them money, and they used me as collateral. When my parents didn't pay, they cut me up,"

The Joker already knew all of this, he simply wanted to see if her reaction had changed since the last time he asked about her scars. As a teenager, she was ashamed and embarrassed of her scars. But now he could see years of cold indifference had hardened her. Talking about her scars was nothing now. She had learned to detach herself, just as he always encouraged.

"And yours?" She was quick to follow, her eyes focused on the upraised markings at both corners of his mouth.

At last, it came. His favorite part, the scars story. He determined the possibility of telling her a lie, as he always had. By now, there were at least twenty different stories of how they came about. He doubted that if he told the truth anybody would be able to distinguish it from the lies. However, he could not reveal the truth to her. It would be easy to connect the pieces then, Aurora witnessing too much of his father's behavior for her not to.

"Pass,"

"Oh, come on! That was a fair question!" Aurora argued, disappointed he had passed on another question.

"Pass," He repeated, her persistence was beginning to annoy him. She sighed, deciding to move on to the next one after picking up on his mood change.

"Okay, then. How old are you?" She asked, rolling her eyes at him. Her eyebrow was arched, daring him to pass on another question and see what happened.

"Twenty-six," said The Joker, and Aurora was back to studying his face again. It was hard to guess his age when his face was covered in grease paint, but by the creasing in his tan skin she would have guessed he'd be in his early thirties.

"Interesting…" Aurora mumbled, examining him closer. Her next question was already formulating in her mind.

"What is?" He looked at her oddly, as she stared at him with a determined expression.

"You're the same age as I am," Her statement sounded like a question, and she didn't slack on her observation. If he noticed how hard she was starting at him, he was ignoring it because he sat tall in the driver seat, as comfortable as ever.

"And?" He urged her on, wondering what it was about this question rather than the others that made her suspicious.

"Did you grow up in Gotham?" She interrogated, searching his face for familiarities. She didn't pay attention to most kids in her high school, so it wouldn't surprise her if she had gone to school with him and not realize it.

"You rather impatient tonight, Aurora. Always trying to take my turn," He joked lightly, deciding to take on a new angle. If he was going to work with her, he would need to know the best way to break her.

She waited for him to continue, giving him a look that showcased her displeasure of not being answered. But she wasn't going to press her luck, she was working an angle of her own. She would get inside of his head and learn the best way to twist it. It was what she was best at, but she was starting to think she had met her match. He changed his personality as often as she did.

"When did you decide to get your revenge on the mob?" Her tossed back effortlessly, with a tone that implied exactly how much he knew about her. If he was trying to make her uncomfortable, it was working. She'd be damned if he let it see it though, she was determined to stand her ground tonight. She needed to make it perfectly clear that she wasn't someone to mess with or take advantage of.

"The day they took away my reason for living," She replied airily, observing him with a scrutinizing gaze and blank expression.

"Your reason for living?" He pressed, with true interest for once. This was something he wanted to know and she could tell.

She paused for a second, mentally debating whether to answer the question or not. "My fiancé," She replied, her brow arched, daring him to mock her.

"Fiancé…how interesting," his smirk was smug in a way to irritated her to no end. There was something so familiar in the habit that got on her last nerve.

"What's so interesting about it then?" She snapped, her eyes narrowed at his haughty expression.

"Nothing. Just never pegged you for someone who'd want to settle down," He shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road. They were driving through nastier parts of the narrows, a perfect place for a hideout. This part of town was nothing but suspicious activity and sketchy characters. Everyone kept whatever they saw to themselves; no one willing to pay the price for snitching.

"That was years ago, and time has a funny way of changing people, doesn't it?" She stated cryptically, her eyes focusing on the blurring buildings through the window over his shoulder. She wished she never brought Jack up. He was something she never wished to discussed, especially not with the Joker, of all people.

"Yes, it does," His voice was quiet and Aurora barley registered it. They had finally pulled up to their destination, a dilapidated warehouse that hardly looked inhabitable.

"_This_ is the place?" She voiced her skepticism, once he parked the car and it was apparent she was meant to get out.

"Yes," he replied before shutting the door and making his way to the trunk. With a sign, Aurora joined him and took her allotted suitcases. She followed him through the back entrance, eyeing the few hundred stacked boxes and broken assembly lines disdainfully.

She said nothing more as they moved through the isles silently, but her wary expression was clear. She had begun to regret accepting his request, if there was where she was meant to live. Her house wasn't the most luxurious by any means, but it looked like a five star hotel compared to this dust pit.

"Keep up, Aurora. You have people to meet," The Joker sneered, breaking her thought process. She sighed impatiently, but started up the stairs in his wake, moving at a deliberately slow pace to incense him further. She grinned to herself in triumph as he clicked his teeth, a tell-all of his annoyance.

The staircase ended with a door which the Joker opened with one last wry smirk in Aurora's direction. Oh yes, introducing her to the others in his inner circle-so the speak-would be _fun_. For him, of course. The members were ruthless, rebellious, and not likely to take orders from anyone besides himself. It would be more than enjoyable to watch her break them. But even better than that, it would be a fantastic learning experience-his version of Aurora's question game.

He needed to see the full extent of her power. He needed to be sure of his decision, and this would only be test two. He needed to understand her mind in every aspect before he could make his move, and act on his plan.

XXX

A/N : This is a littler shorter than I had hoped for, but I decided I wanted to get the update out and I'll save the meeting for the next one. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed it so far, and I'd love to hear any and all thoughts about it.

Ex's And Oh's

Audrey V. Sullivan


	4. Chapter Four : Welcome Home, Doll

Aurora observed the four people standing in front of her carefully, sizing up the highest ranking members of The Joker's inner circle. There were two burly, ginger haired twins, standing next to each other and flashing her identical grins as they assessed her. Beside them was a positively massive black man, every inch of him covered in bulging muscles. There were hundreds of tattoos inked on his crossed arms, tear drops on his face from previous gang activity. He wore an impassive expression, that showed no hostility unlike the blond woman glaring to his right. She wore an absolutely hideous yellow dress and looked to be way to peppy for Aurora to deal with, not to mention _annoying. _

"_This_ is Aurora," the Joker stated in a lazy drawl, "I _suggest _you do as she says from now on,"

The blond scoffed, deepening her glare as she studied Aurora. Who did this girl think she was, coming in her with _her_ man and expecting everything to be peachy? Kathrin was a very territorial woman and she despised Aurora on instinct, seeing as she's captivated the interest of the man she loved deeply. As far as she was concerned, The Joker was hers and she didn't take kindly to another woman moving in. Especially not as his _"equal", _no, she absolutely loathed Aurora and was already plotting away on how to get rid of her.

Aurora kept her face completely passive as she stepped closer to the blond, stopping only once she was directly in front of her. Her lips curled into a dangerous smirk, "Do you have a _problem_ with that?"

Kathrin scowled at the woman towering over her, jealously making her bitter. "Yeah, there is! Who the hell are you waltzing in here thinking you run shit?"

Aurora simply chuckled, grabbing her roughly by the hair, bringing a knife to her throat before she could even blink. "I'm Aurora Jane Sykes, and I'd remember it if I were you," She growled menacingly, pressing the blade deep enough into her skin to draw a thick line of blood. "Because I can show you a whole new level of pain, sweetheart. I'll make you _beg_ for death, if you continue to. Push. My. Buttons," Each word was punctuated with a another cut just deep enough to show she wasn't kidding.

"Do you understand?" Her tone was condescending. The girl nodded mutely, trying her hardest not to cower beneath her.

"Say it," She spat, narrowing her at the girl, digging her blade further into the delicate skin just above her jugular. Her eyes danced with malice, daring the blond to continue defying her.

"I understand," She said through gritted teeth, obviously enraged at being treated in such a manner but wasn't in any position to go against it.

"Good," Aurora finally released her, stepping back to her original spot besides The Joker. "Any one else have problems with the way things are going to work from now on?" She addressed the three men, observing the action with varying degrees of interest as she waved her knife around expectantly.

"Oh, we like her, boss," One of the twins began, the second finishing with a hearty laugh, "A real firecracker, she is,"

Aurora grinned upon hearing their thick Irish brogue, always having a thing for accents. Taking his as encouragement, one of them swung a muscular arm around her shoulder. "I'm Colin and this is Sean. That's Tyrone and Kathrin," he moved in closer to whisper in her ear, hiding his mouth with the palm of his hand, "Don't mind her though. She's a downright bitch,"

Aurora snorted at his comment, gathering that much for herself. Tyrone nodded to her in acknowledgment while Kathrin continued her scowling. Having the gift of reading people, she decided she liked the twins and Tyrone-although he seemed the silent type and she would respect that. Kathrin, on the other hand, she could tell would be a problem.

Growing bored with the situation in front of him, Joker turned to Aurora, "Do you want to see you room or not?"

Aurora simply rolled her eyes at him, "Don't get your panties in a twist, _J_, I'm coming." the Joker grunted but said nothing further as she started to follow him to the second set of stairs. On the third floor was a completely new apartment, locked by key to all the other occupants of the house save Aurora and him.

Left alone on the floor below them, the twins shared a wonderstruck look at how casually Aurora treated The Joker and how he let her get away with it. Kathrin stomped off in a rage for the exact same reason.

Upstairs, The Joker had already opened the door to Aurora's new room and was leaning against the doorframe casually as she inspected it. To her surprise and pleasure, Aurora actually found the room to her liking. The walls were covered in blood red wallpaper, a swirling black design printed onto it. There was a large, black canopy bed pushed against one of the walls, with deep crimson blankets and pillows. The closet in the corner was big enough to house the majority of her wardrobe and a wooden dresser sat at the furthest corner of the room, beside a large window with a fire escape. The room also contained a black vanity with a sufficient amount of drawers to hold all the necessities of keeping up with her multiple personalities.

"Wow. All this for me J?" Aurora snickered, dumping her bags on her bed and letting Olive out from his cage. He sniffed at her affronted, before taking off to observe his new surroundings. She turned to face him, a sarcastic grin on her face.

"Just wanted you to be comfortable, _darling," _The Joker sneered, stepping closer to her. He trapped one of her long curls between his fingers, twirling it and pulling just a little too tightly for comfort. "Get dressed in something nice. We have business to attend to,"

She rolled her eyes at his bipolar tendencies, but looked through her luggage for something to wear. If he wanted her to wear something nice, she would not disappoint. She pulled out one of her many red dresses, deciding to go out as Scarlet tonight. She had many names in the city, each of them completely unrelated to the others. With as little as a change of make up, wardrobe, and a wig she was transformed into an entirely new person, none the wiser.

She slipped out of her snug fitting jeans and sweater, changing into one of her favorite dresses. It was different from the ones she usually wore, but she loved it all the same. The skirt was made of light silk that flowed loosely around her knees, shorter in the front than in the back. It clung to her torso in all the right places, the strap holding the dress up looped around her neck, attached to a scooping neckline. She placed her knives in the usual spot on her garter, tucking a small pistol in the back of her bra-they all had holders specially sewn into them for such things. She wore transparent platform heels, the tips of the shows covered in an artificial blood splatter design. She pulled her hair to the top of her head, tying it in a high ponytail. The tips of her brick hair fell around her upper back in wispy waves. The only make up she wore was mascara , lip gloss that matched her dress, and of course the cover up that hid her many scars.

She smirked at her reflection in the mirror, knowing that she looked good. She took her time making her way to the dinning room where business was to be conducted, not caring if she was keeping anyone waiting. They were already sitting, the twins on one side, Tyrone and Kathrin on the other. At the head of the table sat The Joker, a chair sat empty across him at the other end. There were maps and other papers laid across the table as well as Sean who was fiddling with a laptop. She took her place at the end of the table, leaning across it on her elbows.

"So what's on the agenda tonight?" She asked, eyebrow arched at the plan already in formation.

"Fireworks," The Joker beamed, his scars stretching gruesomely from ear to ear.

Aurora rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what he meant by that. "Who are we blowing up then?"

"Catcthes on quick, this one does," Colin laughed, looking up from the map he was busy memorizing.

"Who aren't we?" Snorted Sean, who had not even bothered to look up from his work.

"Only a judge, police comissioner and a mayor?" The Joker offered nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders but his eyes sparkled with mischief, plotting and planning obvious in their dark brown depths.

"Oh good, something simple," Aurora chortled, immediately glad with her decision not to wear stilettos. As she grabbed a map of the courthouse, she thought idly of the leather jacket she had upstairs that would finish off her outfit tonight.

Forty minutes later the plans were made, and the team of criminals were packing up the car. Kathrin was the getaway driver and all together in charge in all "getting away" aspects of the operation. Tyrone, or Ty as Aurora officially started calling him, sat shotgun, eyes peeled for any sort of suspicion. The twins sat in the middle seats, attached to laptops and cellphones as they raced to their destination. They were The Joker's form of Geek Squad, the official hackers. In the very back of the large SUV, sat Aurora and The Joker who both concerned themselves with polishing their knives and getting any other _necessities _ready for the night.

The Joker had not said much since they were in the car, letting out occasional squeals of excitement as we drew closer and looked out the window with an anxious, clowny grin-waiting for things to start blowing up. In all honesty, he really was one of the most patient people. He could wait for years to set his thoughts in motion, making sure it came at the precise time to make it perfect. But as soon as he decided it was go time, he could not wait to just _do _them and watch them enfold.

Aurora always knew joining forces with The joker was going to be fun, but she never realized just how much. She had already showcased her expertise torture skills, made friends as well as enemies and the night was still young. She returned the knives to her hiding spots, the car coming to an abrupt stop outside the Judge's house.

"Wait here, Doll," Joker instructed, "C'mon Tyrone, bring the stuff,"

As soon as they left the car, all the materials to make a car bomb in hand, the twins turned around to beam at Aurora. "So how'd you get roped into all this, Cherry Bomb?" Sean grinned.

"Cherry Bomb?" Aurora arched her perfectly sculpted eyebrow at him.

"That's your new nickname, Aurora. It means we like you," Colin added cheekily. Aurora smiled at them in amusement, enjoying their playful banter after years of mostly solitude.

"Joker stalked me for a few weeks, then struck up the nerve to talk to me or something," Aurora shrugged vaguely, not caring to explain her stripping gig to them.

"He seems to like you an awful lot, CB," Sean snickered. Aurora noticed Kathrin gripping the steering wheel tightly in her anger, that particular comment ticking her off. Well, it seems as someone has a little crush on a psychopath, Aurora thought with a malignant smirk. She would show this girl what a downright bitch she could be, she would pay more attention in her than anyone should hope to have. When they have her full attention, it's only a matter of time before she grow bored with them…

"Hmm, is that so?" Aurora played along, getting the obvious hints the Twins were in on heckling Kathrin.

"Oh yeah, Cherry. He's been talking 'bout you for weeks, and he even lets you live in his upstairs flat. He'll cut off a person's legs if they even think of climbing that staircase," Colin added truthfully, knowing it would infuriate the annoying blond in front of him. She was crazy obsessed with the Boss man and it was more than time for her to realize it would never happen, not to mention he actually liked Aurora.

"I'm _flattered,_" Aurora replied sarcastically, watching the Joker and Ty place the bomb in the car. A second later J returned alone, Ty moving to hid in an alleyway down the street.

"Step on it, Kit-Kat. Phase two in action," The Joker positively beamed as Kathrin stepped on the gas. As they zigzagged through traffic, Joker turned his full attention onto Aurora. "I need you, to put this into the Police Commissioner's bottle," He directed, holding up a small vial of offensive murky liquid. "Do you think you can manage that, Rory?" J purred her name, more familiar to both of them then they'd rather admit.

Pushing it back for later, she addressed the Joker with a casual smirk. "Consider it done,"

"That's what I like to hear. Introduce yourself as Marlene Hennessey. You'll find you have a very important meeting with our good friend Lobb," The Joker sat back smugly after handing her the vial, as the car stopped at a side of a very big building.

"And what's this meeting about exactly?" I raised my eyebrow, tucking the poison into my garter belt.

"You have information on The Joker's whereabouts," J snickered. He was sitting directly outside the Police Commissioner's office, in full make up, and no one would ever know.

Aurora didn't wait for further instructions before climbing over Colin to get to the door. As she marched up the stairs, Scarlet had already set in place. Her entire personality changed with a blink, her movements and walking changed noticeably while she become a new person. She was flirty, charismatic, seemingly harmless and sweet-if not a tad cocky. She felt like an actor in this body, playing a role of a lifetime that she knew she would nail without a worry. No one would ever suspect her, she could tell by the endearing smile the receptionist flashed her.

"Hello, I'm Marlene Hennessey. I have an appointment with the Commissioner," She asked with a falsely cheering voice, flipping her hair over her shoulder innocently. Her eyes were covered by oversized sunglasses, they did the job of hiding the majority of her face without being obvious.

Looking down at her computer, she found the young woman in front of her in his schedule, due to meet him in five minutes. "Fifth floor, office on the right,"

"Thank you, have a nice night," Aurora grinned, the weight of the vial in her garter resting ironically against her thigh. She knew that the woman in front of her would have far from a good night

Aurora opted for the stairs, She took the elevator, humming into the music playing softly in the background. The elevator dinged five floors up, and Aurora made her way into his office undetected.

The commissioner didn't even look up from his paperwork as she entered his office. "Good evening Marlene, right on time,"

Aurora settled herself in the chair, crossing her legs with that that Cheshire grin. "Good evening, Commissioner," She mimicked, her sarcasm apparently undetectable as Loeb made no objection.

She had her game face on with absolutely no plan in hand. That was the way she liked to do things. It was more fun to show up and then watch the madness unfold. Forget all that look before you leap bullshit. Take things as you go, and never look back. Life was a card game, you can't help what you're dealt-but you have to work with what you got.

Aurora hid her shock as Loeb looked up from his paperwork, seemingly finding nothing wrong with her sitting before him. He must have never met Marlene Hennessey, she figured, it was the only way she'd get away with this. She scanned the room with only her eyes, searching for the bottle but not making it obvious. When she found it no where, she knew it was on the side of the desk he was sitting on.

"So, what can I do for you today, Miss Hennessey?" Loeb asked, finally addressing the young woman in front of him. He had known that Marlene came from a very wealthy, important family. What he didn't know was how beautiful she was, never meeting her before.

"I believe I saw The Joker yesterday, without his make up," Aurora lowered her voice and shuddered, faking fear for her audience.

"Without make up? How can you be sure?" Loeb furrowed his eyebrows, trying to decide if she was serious or not. There was at least five ten calls a day from civilians claiming to see him, but it always lead no where.

"The scars. I could tell by the scars," She whispered, turning her head from him.

"Miss, where did you see him?" Loeb insisted, his voice gentle.

"Elm street," Aurora gulped, as if retelling a horrible story. "Getting out of a white van and into the apartment complexes there,"

He began writing the information down on a spare piece of paper. "Is there anything else, Miss? Anything at all that could help us catch him?"

She pretended to think, using his distraction of writing to stealthily extract the next part of the operation. She was tired of talking, she wanted action and to just get on with it already. "There was one more thing…" Aurora started, bringing the tube to her lips, inside was a sleeping dart that would knock him out cold for an hour.

"He told me to give you his regards, Commissioner," Aurora snickered, aiming the dart at his neck. Before he even had time to look up from his papers, he was slumping over in his chair-down for the count.

It took her less than a minute to jump out of her chair and begin searching for the bottle. Once found, she made quick work of dumping the vial into the half empty bottle of hard alcohol. She was disappointed at the ease of the situation, with the formula she concocted on her own he would wake up with no recollection of her ever being there. In five minutes, she completed her only task and opted not to stick around. She took the stairs and then a back entrance, not giving the receptionist a chance to catch a better glimpse of her face. I opened the door to the waiting SUV and was greeting with identical grins from the twins.

"That was quick," Sean commented, typing away on the laptop once again.

"Time is money, young ones," Aurora smirked, taking her seat in the back next to The Joker.

"Young ones?" Colin scoffed, "We're probably older than you!"

"Is it done?" J interrupted moodily, fixing his eyes on Aurora as she got comfortable next to him.

"'Course, it is. He'll die the second he takes a sip," Aurora shrugged, no longer interested in the Commissioner and his unavoidable death. "So, what's next?"

"Nothing until tomorrow, unfortunately," J grumbled, looking out the window wistfully as if wishing every building in front of him would start to spontaneously combust. The ride back to the warehouse was awkwardly quiet, and Aurora was never more happy to see it.

Once inside, The Joker stomped up the stairs-stepping heavy with his shoulders hunched. She turned to the twins for an explanation on the Joker's abrupt foul mood.

"He gets like that a lot. Best to just let him deal with it himself," Colin offered, leading the way into the living room. It was a lot nicer than Aurora expected-two long, leather couches placed in front of a flat screen TV. She sat down beside Colin, who was already flipping through channels. Kathrin and Ty must have retried to their rooms, as well, seeing as no one else was present. The numbers on the cable box flashed 1:34, but she was no where near tired.

"Tell us something about yourself, Aurora. You seem like you're gonna be sticking around a while and…" Sean began, Colin finishing his sentence in that freaky connected way per usual, "We want to get to know our new house mate,"

"I'm a sociopath who kills people for fun. What else is there to know?" Aurora replied vaguely, never one to offer up information on herself.

"Not that, Cherry Bomb! The _fun _stuff!" Colin whined, glaring at me playfully.

"That is the fun stuff," Aurora snatched the remote away from Colin who had put the history channel on. She had no patience for documentaries and put on one of her long term favorites-Law & Order: SVU. She saw the irony in this particular show being her favorite due to her profession, but loved it all the same.

"Personal stuff, CB. Where'd you come from? How old are you?" Sean insisted, smirking at Aurora's definition of good TV.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Colin wiggled his ginger eyebrows at her, eliciting a small chuckle from Aurora.

"I don't have a boyfriend, Col. I don't have the patience for them," Aurora purposefully left out the vital information that pertained to herself. "I'm twenty-six and lived in many places, including Gotham for a few years,"

"Twenty-six? So you _are _older than us. Just by a year though and I like older women," Colin winked, eyeing Aurora with an obvious approval.

"Oh trust me, honey. You can't handle me," Aurora chuckled, knowing better than anyone she was in no fit state for relationships. She had tried to be with other men once it was perfectly clear that Jack was not coming back, he was really dead. But everyone after Jack annoyed her so much that she ended up killing every single one of them in painful and twisted ways.

"You don't know that," Colin insisted, running a finger up the side of Aurora's arm.

"You're right. I don't know anything about you, and I need to know who I have _working _for me now," Aurora returned, finally wiping that smug grin from his face, making Sean laugh at loud at his counterpart.

"Born and raised in Scotland, moved to the states at eighteen," As Sean spoke, he had a nostalgic smile on his face-thinking of home.

"Our school was being run by a toad. And we might have let our anger _blow_ things out of proportion," Colin added and Aurora could practically see the explosions playing in his eyes.

"What exactly do you hope to gain by working with The Joker?" Aurora crossed her legs, resting her head on her arm while she tried to study each of the twins respectively.

"Chaos," they answered together, exchanging a quick glance she almost missed.

Although near carbon copies of each other, there were many differences between Colin and Sean-you just needed to look for them. Both were loud, mischievous, pranksters with a metallic edge, but Colin was the bolder of the two. He openly showed Aurora he had no fear of flirting with a sociopath. Each were obviously toeing the line with madness themselves for working with The Joker, and the answers they providing to her questions proved as much. She could definitively see why The Joker would want them on his team.

She yawned, looking to the clock to see an hour already passed. "Interesting enough but I'm going to bed. Tomorrow's a big day, apparently," She removed herself from the comforts of the couch, waving to the twins on her way up the stairs.

She was more than thankful that the door was unlocked, not wanting to deal with waking up the Joker to let her in. It was dark the mini apartment, the moonlight streaming in through the windows providing the only light. She could make out the shape of couches around a table in the make shift living space, a small kitchenette behind it. She would have enough time to make herself familiar with her new home tomorrow, all she was interested in was sweatpants and a warm bed.

She made her way down the small hallway to her room at the end. Absently, she noticed light peaking out underneath one of the Joker's room she hadn't seen yet. She wondered if he had gotten out of that foul mood of his, but decided she honestly didn't care either way. She was too tired to deal with bipolar madmen.

The instant she was through the door to her new room, she began stripping of her dress and heels. Letting her hair down, she began to root through her bags, Oliver weaving between her legs. She pulled on her sweats quickly, the early morning air leaving goose bumps on her naked skin. Unhooking her bra, she threw on of Jack's old, Led Zeppelin tee shirts. It was far too big for her tiny frame, and was worn with holes and stains from the many years Aurora had held onto them. She knew she should have thrown them out years ago, that he would never come back to claim them. But when he tried, she found she couldn't do it and they kept her warm on the cold nights she went to bed alone.

Sensing his owner's change in mood, Oliver nudged her hand. The corner of Aurora's mouth turned up as she stroked her kitten, knotting her fingers through his ginger fur. She picked the kitten up into her arms, snuggling him and kissing his head gently before placing him on the bed next to her pillow. She suppressed a scream when she turned around to find the Joker leaning casually against her door frame. He was in casual clothes, but his make up remained flawless on his face.

"Do you have a thing for lurking around my room?" Aurora huffed, annoyed that he had once again snuck up on her. His confidence was unnerving, and Aurora felt vulnerable standing in her ratty pajamas in front of him. But Aurora had mastered her poker face in her youth, and she knew none of her disease would show.

His eyes were zeroed in on her tee shirt, recognizing it as his instantly. He really was going to leave her alone tonight, but as he was passing by he saw her changing into his old shirt. Once again, he found himself doing the thing he hated the most-thinking of the past.

XXX

_"Jack?" Aurora's soft voice was almost inaudible against the Rob Zombie album blaring through the speakers in their room._

_Jack quickly worked to turn it down, pulling Aurora closer to his side once she winced at the sound of her Aunt's sobbing down stairs. "Yeah, baby?" He asked, stroking the side of her arm in hopes of comforting her. Jack was usually a very cruel man, but there was something about Aurora that made him hate seeing her in pain. Especially not when her stupid cokehead Aunt was the one putting her down._

_She sat up abruptly, the blankets falling across her naked thighs. She was wearing nothing but his favorite Led Zeppelin tee shirt and a worried expression as she bit down on her lower lip. Her red hair was messy from their previous activities, and her scarred cheeks were still flushed. Unlike the other people Aurora had the misfortune of knowing, Jack thought her scars made her more beautiful. They made her look dangerous, which was what attracted him to her in the face place._

_"Do you love me?" She was still chewing on her lip, her hands starting to pick at the sheets with her nervousness._

_Jack paused for a fraction of a second, trying to find the best way to answer the question. They were only sixteen, together for only a year. He honestly didn't know if he loved her or not. He wasn't even sure if he knew what love was, his parents certainly never showed him. But as he looked down at Aurora the answer was clear._

_"Yes," Once said it was definite, his voice confident as he snatched her shaking hands in his own. They were so tiny and smooth between his bigger, calloused ones._

_"Good," Aurora murmured, but he could see that calculating gleam in her emerald eyes and knew she was not finished. When she didn't voice the rest of her thoughts, he moved his fingers under her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Do you want to run away with me once school's over? Leave Gotham and never look back?" Her words were strained, vulnerable. She didn't think there was anyway he'd say yes, it was written clearly in her wide, emerald eyes._

_He hesitated, flashes of his father in a fit of rage while his mother stood idly by. All the dickbags he was forced to grow up with, how spineless and pathetic they really were. But then he thought of Aurora, and how he thought her his equal in every way. She was intelligent, but didn't give a damn about school or college. She had a wicked, twisted humor to match his own. They were fascinated by the same obscure things, and had very twisted ideas of value. She already proved she had the capacity to kill and not loose her mind. She was enlightened._

_"Let's do it," Jack's unscarred lips turned into a smirk, now plotting along with Aurora. "The day you turn eighteen, we're out of here," Jack promised._

_"I love you," she professed, encircling her small arms around his neck, pressing kisses to his face. "We're going to get away from here, Jack. Just you and me,"_

XXX

"J!" Aurora's shrill scream broke though his reverie, as she swatted him with her arms.

"What was that for?" He mumbled, rubbing his offending shoulder. His mouth still hung slightly agape as she stood there hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. She looked exactly as she did at sixteen, whenever he would do something to piss her off.

"Daydreaming and taking away from my beauty sleep. What did you come in here for anyway?" She demanded, trying hard to be annoyed but he could see right through it-just as he always did.

"Just trying to make sure you're comfortable enough with the place to sleep here, Doll," J replied airily, though Aurora caught the subtle sarcasm. It was so close to the way _he_ used to speak that she broke their gaze, giving herself the millisecond she needed to compose herself.

"Perfectly fine," Aurora sniffed, moving close to him. For a second, he really thought she was reaching out to touch his shoulder. But she simply flicked the switch, leaving the room coated in darkness. "Now, if you'll excuse me," she dismissed him, turning around and heading to the bed.

The Joker simply chuckled, strangely delighted in the familiarity of her actions. He left for his room, closing the door behind him. He grinned that clowny grin all the way down the hall, reeling with the special plan he had for Aurora. She still had his shirt and was wearing it to bed as she always had. Best of all, She had reffered to him as _her reason for living_.

He had her, any time he wanted. All he had to do was wipe off his make up, go in there and reveal himself. But that would be too easy. He needed to make this a challenge, he had to bring her to his level. She was so close, but not there yet. He needed to be that push to fling her over the edge. He needed to make her heartless, capable of everything he knew she could be.

She was so close to greatness, all she needed was a little _push_…

**_A/N : Sorry this took so long to update! I lost internet for a while, just got it back today. Sorry for any mistakes I just really wanted this up! Tell me what you think of the new characters and what about the slip of the past? Yes or no? Anyway, school's starting in a few days and I'm not sure how frequently I'll be able to update. But I WILL update whenever I get the chance. this story has a long way to go, trust me. _**

**_Audrey V. Sullivan_**


	5. Chapter Five : Wild Card

Aurora sat with her head cradled in her hands as she stared absently into the black depths of her coffee. It was only 4:32 in the morning but she was wide awake and had been for hours. Once sleep had found her, she fought her hardest to escape it, the damn nightmares returning to deprive her much needed rest. Her gaze was blank, images of her dream churning in her mind.

_David and Allison Sykes sat across each other at the dining room table, bound tightly to their chairs with frayed rope. Their only daughter sat at the head, flicking a switchblade in her hands. She wore a simple white sundress that was terribly overpriced and paid for with the unreturned drug money that cost her her face. The stitches on her head were bleeding from the intensity of her glare as she ignored the stinging pain it caused her. _

"_Please, baby, we're sorry," Allison begged, her mascara streaming down her face in pathetic clumps. She choked on her own snot and salvia as she continued to sob and struggle against her restraints. _

_Aurora was filled with absolute disgust that she had to call the vile creature in front of her 'mother'. When Maroni's thugs had her at knife point she remained silent. When they sliced and hacked and carved her she did not make a sound. She kept her pride and dignity. _

"_Oh, you're _sorry_ are you?" The young girl chuckled and the tension in the air thickened as the shift in her mood was evident. "Hmm? You're sorry? Sorry, sorry…"She continued to mumble it darkly, cackling to herself and fingering her knife witch an unwavering glare. Allison cried harder; David stared at his daughter in shock, trying to figure out when this monster had replaced his darling, little girl…_

_The knife whipped through the air with an audible _swoosh _before planting itself firmly in Allison's throat. Blood spurted out her neck, splashing both David and Aurora in the face and all over their clothes. David vomited causing Aurora to laugh harder and harder until she couldn't handle it anymore. Clutching her sides she removed the knife and cleaned the blood in her mother's hair. She slashed David's face to ribbons, making it completely unrecognizable. The only sound piercing the tension of death was her maniacal laughter coming to crescendo as both her parents took their final breath. _

This isn't what unsettled her. This was nothing but a simple memory of the night she murdered her parents she felt no remorse. It was the second part that kept her awake, the part that made her refuse to

close her eyes unless completely necessary.

_She doused her parents and the fancy furniture in cheap gasoline, her laughter never ceasing. She struck a_

_match and threw it haphazardly into a pile of gasoline. She watched the flames engulf her parents before a_

_shriek left her lips, replacing her merriment with horror. Her parents were replaced with a struggling Jack. _

_She couldn't reach him, even as he screamed her name and begged her to help. An unidentified force knocked her off her feet and swept her toward the door. She fought against it but was too weak. Tears streamed down her face with the crushing hopelessness of the situation. Jack was going to burn alive and it was her fault. She was too weak to save him, too weak to be with him, all her fault…_

She was disgusted with herself. It had been eight years. Jack had been dead for eight years and she needed to get over it. She had lost so much slept because of that boy, so much of her sanity. Normally it didn't bother her so much, normally she could handle it. There was something about this place that made her uneasy, something about this situation that reminded her of Jack. However, she couldn't place a finger on what it was and half chalked it up the lack of sleep. Sometimes she was desperate enough to see Jack that she saw him in the most unlikely places, namely the carved up face of the most wanted man in Gotham.

"Aurora?"

She turned calmly and eyed the Joker. His face paint was smudged and nearly ruined, but still hid his face. She immediately noticed his lack of clothes( nothing but a pair of ironic Batman boxers and his typical argyle socks) but made nothing of it. She most likely woke him up. "hmmm?"

"What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep," She shrugged her shoulders and returned her eyes to her untouched coffee. She could feel his gaze on her but worked hard to ignore it. She didn't want to meet his eyes just yet.

"Why?" His tone was sharper than he intended. Aurora purposefully avoiding eye contact was grating on her nerves. He needed to read her, soak in every reaction but he couldn't unless he saw her eyes. She was composed and unwavering in body language, giving away nothing. Something that worked in his disadvantage.

"Why do you care?" She retorted, voice devoid of any emotion. Feigned cool, calm, collectedness she emitted effortlessly.

He lost it, growling impatiently, "Look. At. Me."

She turned to him slowly, granting him the eye contact he obviously wanted. It impressed him how easily she could turn off her emotions, as if there was simply a switch that needed to be hit. She remained silent but held his gaze, her body held upright and proper. He must have caught her off guard last night, for now she seemed completely on point. Good. It was much more entertaining for her to be in top condition, especially for what he had planned for the day.

"I'll…_uh_, repeat myself," The Joker replied in his clowny voice, stepping closer to Aurora. "Why can'**t** you sleep?"

Aurora kept her eyes leveled, but slightly narrowed as she regarded him in annoyance. Why must he make it his personal business to be involved in everyone else's? So self-centered and egotistical and…

"Earth to Aurora!" The Joker yelled directly in her face, simultaneously slapping her in the back of the head. She scowled and gingerly felt the lump that was sure to form.

"That was highly unnecessary,"

"You avoiding my questions is _highly unnecessary. _**SO ANSWER ME!**_"_

Aurora simply rolled her eyes, before returning to her coffee to take a few calming sips. She smirked when she saw the edges of his scars twitching with his obvious displeasure for waiting. "Not that it's really _any_ of your business," She started with a sigh, hating that she had to describe something as ridiculous as a dream to _him. _"But I suppose I had a nightmare of sorts, or well…distorted memories, really,"

"Nightmare?" The word caught his interest, a devious smile forming on his face.

"I guess since I was sleeping,"

"You don't seem very, uh, interested_. Why_?"

She considered not answering but decided the fight wasn't worth it. "I'm used to them by now. "

"'By now'? So it's not the first then?" She simply shook her head, drank more coffee. "Tell me, doll. What's so bad about these dreams that you're loosing sleep because of it?"

Something in her wanted to trust him. She didn't know what it was and she knew that she probably shouldn't trust _it, _but she never could help herself. She always did what was wrong for her; Jack always made sure to point that out. But he still loved her, and she had failed, Jack…

"Aurora,"

His voice pulled her back from the flames and she become entranced by the dark hazel orbs she could barely see behind all the greasepaint. There was something so familiar, but she couldn't place it. It haunted her and bugged her but she didn't have time to think it over. J was expecting an answer.

Before she knows it, she blurts out the truth and she can't take it back.

"It starts with the memory of me killing my parents, but when I light the match the bodies turn to Jack. I can't save him, he burns alive and I couldn't save him…"

She never meant to say it, but now the words hand in the air like suspended dirt. It made breathing uncomfortable, but she hid it.

"That's how he died you know," She broke the unbearable silence once the Joker made it perfectly clear he wasn't going to respond. So much effort to get the truth and he didn't even have a reply. What a disappointment. "His ass wipe, alcoholic father couldn't pay the rent cause he spent it on booze and Falcone's men burnt the house down."

She's said too much but there was nothing she could do about it now. The clock over the stove read 5:03am. Finally, the Joker spoke.

"This uh, _Jack-" _The name felt foreign on his lips, ill-flavored. "He was you're fiancé?"

"Yes,"

"And he died how many years ago?"

"Eight," She answered tersely. His questions made her wary. If she knew she would be questioned about Jack so early in the morning she would have just stayed in bed.

"Isn't it uh, time you get over him, Doll?" His condescending tone is what broke her calm disposition and within seconds she had her knife to his throat. The abrupt change was most prominent in her eyes. Her emerald eyes shone with true, brutal psychosis, just begging him for a reason to cut his head clear off his neck.

"_Don't. _Talk about things you know nothing about." She spat maliciously in his face, dragging the blade across his skin hard enough to break skin but cause no real damage. A shiver of delight rippled through his spine with her threat. Her complete lack of mercy turned him on, her fearless treatment of him excited him.

Aurora dropped the knife once she was positive he'd heed her warning and returned once again to her coffee. She began whistling a familiar tune the Joker couldn't remember the name of and turned to him expectantly. "So what's going on today? Killing any more government officials?"

J smirked, amused by her bipolar outburst. "Not today, Doll. It's training day,"

"Training day?" She scrunched up her nose with displeasure.

"Gotta make sure you're up to speed with the rest of the pack, _Rory_," He was purposefully pushing her buttons, practically begging her to figure it out.

She stiffened noticeably but made no further action. "Don't call me that."

"Why not, _Rory_?"

"Because it's annoying!" _Because it reminds her of Jack._

She glared at him and he returned it evenly. Both refused to break first and the staring contest would have went on all day if there wasn't a timid knock at the door. Hesitantly, J broke eye contact before stomping off to answer the door. Aurora smirked victoriously before placing the empty mug into the sink.

"We heard screaming, M-mr. J, and we just t-thought-" Aurora's attention was captured by the sputtering Kathy, who cowered pathetically at the door. Aurora scoffed at the blush tinting her cheeks before moving to go to her room. If Kathy was going to be there, she certainly was not.

She caught J glancing in her direction before he pushed Kathy into the hallway and closed the door behind him. She went to get changed into more suitable clothes with that triumphant smirk never leaving her face.

XXX

She had no idea what "training day" entailed, but by the time Aurora was finished dressing she felt more than prepared. She also felt like Laura Croft from tomb raider. She wore a simple black tank top, form fitting pants with hidden pockets and military issue combat boots.

Her long hair was braided and perfectly even at the top of her head, all of her scars covered with sweat proof foundation. She wore a black trench coat to conceal the several guns and knives she couldn't hide in her pockets due to their size. Before she left to meet the others, she fed Oliver and left the door open so he could explore while they were out.

On her way out of her room, she collided forcefully with a wall. Or well, she thought it was a wall until she realized it was breathing. She glanced up to see the Joker looking down at her with an amused expression.

"Ready to go, Doll?" The Joker made an elaborate motion of his hands toward the door, his scars wiggling as he enjoyed teasing her.

Aurora scoffed pointedly before sauntering down the hallway. "Where are we even going anyway?"

"That's for me to know and _you _to find out," He punctuated the 'you' with a tap to her nose. To his credit, he also managed to thunder down the stairs before Aurora growled and lunged at him. She settled for glaring at him with her infamous coldness as she choose to stand next to Colin and Sean purposefully once they all assembled in the dinning room.

Colin's award-winning smile fell once Aurora ignored his greeting and continued to glare fixedly at the Joker. He had no idea what happened, but anger was radiating off her in waves. Considering the firearms and cutlery she was packing under that trench coat, he sensed it was time to diffuse the situation. That was certainly one fight he did _not_ want to witness. Thankfully his twin caught the same vibe he did and was now looking at him meaningfully. Time to coax one of our homicidal, trigger happy bosses out of skinning the other alive: Check.

"What no smile, Cherry Bomb?" Colin bent down so that his face blocked the Joker and she was forced to look at him instead.

Try as she might she could not hold onto the resentment she felt for J while Colin was beaming at her like that. She tried to look away but was met with an identical smiling face. "Not now guys," she sighed with feigned exasperation to hid her own amusement.

"Aww come on, don't let him get you down!" Sean encouraged, swinging an arm around her shoulder and directing her away from the Joker.

"Yeah, we're going to train anyways and that's always good for letting out some aggression," She simply rolled her eyes at Colin's mention of training. The stupid prick wouldn't even tell her where he plans on taking her and they're supposed to be business _partners, "_You'll probably get to kill at least two or three people within in the hour if we leave soon,"

She turned to grin at Colin. The ice in her eyes had evaporated with the burning flames engulfing her emerald eyes. She patted his cheek lightly, speaking in that slightly off voice she used while killing. "Thanks kid, you sure know what to say to make a girl smile,"

"Anytime, Aurora. Now let's head to the van, yeah?"

She simply nodded her head before heading towards the garage but both redheads caught the edges of her mouth threatening to pull upwards. They also noticed the Joker storm pass everyone and rush to surpass Aurora, to which she stiffened and mumbled curses in a language neither of them could make out before continuing down. It seemed that both bosses were on edge today and the Joker was leading them to a shooting range. What an interesting start to a Tuesday morning…

XXX

Most would feel uncomfortable with an M4 in their hands, Aurora felt liberated. A hundred yards away from her stood her target, bound and blindfolded, nervously awaiting his fate. Aurora didn't know what the man had done to offend the Joker, nor did she care. The Joker had instructed for her shoot him in between the eyes to test her aim, and after the morning she had and car ride here she was more than willing to comply.

Target locked, she squeezed the trigger and as the bang resounded in surrounding mountains she selfishly wished it was a painted face she'd just blown to pieces. It's not that she hated the Joker or even wanted him dead per say, but he sure did know how to get on her nerves. Living with one of the only people who was ever able to get under her skin was certainly going to take its toll on Aurora if she didn't find an outlet for her anger. But once she saw the man slump in his chair with a gushing head wound, she felt a little less angry, a bit more free.

Death brought forth by her hands was a calming agent. A way for the madness to ebb out so fatal serenity could take its place.

She waited for the Joker to join her with the gun slung over her shoulder nonchalantly. To her left stood the twins who only looked upon her with amazement. Obviously, they had not expected her to be a good shot which on their part was rather stupid. Never underestimate anyone, you never know what mask they could be putting on. Also, she assumed they had been absent the night she was introduced to the room full of lackies.

"Now what?" She asked casually once the Joker was close enough to hear.

"So you can shoot," he shrugged his shoulders before carefully pulling a knife out of his pocket and pointing it to their right where another man was tied up a hundred yards away. "But can you do the same with a knife?"

She rolled her eyes and snatched the knife away. She merely glanced to the right before haphazardly chucking it at her target. She didn't flinch at the resulting shriek or agony nor the eerie silence that followed. "I think that answers your question,"

Their eyes stayed locked the entire time; psychotic black on jaded emerald. Both were unmoving, unwavering until the joker tossed dagger at her face, slicing through the calm. She caught it an inch from piercing her left eye, never blinking.

"Really, J?" Her apathetic tone made it worse and she knew it. Her voice betrayed nothing and her true actions were revealed only to herself.

"Had to make sure you could think on your toes_, Doll_," The Joker retorted with his usual confidence.

"Boss, I don't think-" Ty began, placing a hesitant hand on his intimidating employer's shoulder. However, the need to reel in his boss was evident by that malignant gleam in Aurora's eyes he saw too often being surrounded by crazies.

"No, Tyrone. He's right," Aurora chimed, her words drenched in a false sugary sweet. "Fast thinking is a _very_ important skill to have,"

"It is?" the Joker's painted brow rose high into his forehead, not trusting this new positive attitude from Aurora one bit.

"Oh, of course, J. Nothing personal right? Gotta make sure your employees are up to speed,"

"Uh huh," He responded dumbly, her airy smile confusing him and blinding him just as it always had.

"But here's the thing, J. I'm not your employee am I?" and with lightening speed her grin was gone and a pistol he didn't even know she had was pressed to his temple. "So, _naturally_ you can understand why I'm a little…upset with your stunt,"

Instantly, Tyrone and Katherine lunged to help their beloved boss but unfortunately for them, her reflexes were faster. A switchblade was lodged into Katherine's shoulder blade before she could take two steps. "Not so fast. He needs to learn his lesson first," Aurora growled, pressing the barrel harshly against his skin.

The Joker outstretched his hand to stop his minions from rushing to his aid. Aurora was pleased to find the twins not included in that group. Instead they lingered behind the rest, clearly torn on who they should help. Once again, they held each other's gaze both refusing to be the first to back down. Even though Aurora held a gun to his head, the Joker somehow managed to keep his sense of control. It made Aurora uneasy, but she was hell-bent on not letting it show.

"So, you want to teach me a lesson, huh?" The Joker showed no duress under gunpoint, and kept an even glare.

"I do, actually," She wouldn't be outdone, even though she was thinking realistically and knew he could overpower her at any second. "I think you need to learn a bit of respect,"

He mouthed the words 'me' while pointing at himself with his thumbs theatrically. "_I'm_ the one who has to learn respect? You're the one holding a gun to my head, sweetheart and frankly, it's just rude,"

"You're the one who asked me for my help and yet you've told me nothing, not even why you needed my help in the first bloody place!" She exploded, but she really couldn't help it. He was downright infuriating yet for some reason she couldn't bring herself to shoot him. Even though her next threat was empty she made it flawlessly and half convinced herself. "So if you actually expect me to continue working with you instead of blowing that grin clear off your face, I expect some answers,"

"You want answers? Then stop _lying to me_,"

"Lying to you? When have I lied to you?" Aurora could count several times off the top of her head, but she was confident he couldn't. Overconfident.

"Right then when you said you'd shot me. You wouldn't,"

Aurora looked at the gun, analyzing the Joker's words. "You're right. I wouldn't," Then as soon as she seemed to relax enough that he did the same, she pistol whipped him hard enough to knock him out cold. She let his body slump unceremoniously to the floor, unconcerned with the blood that splattered when the gun forcibly made contact with his nose.

"Now that, that's taken care of…"She turned around to the dozen or so shocked employees of the Joker. She basked in their astonishment and was more pleased then she should be by the still struggling Katherine. All the blood from the wound ruined that horrid little dress of hers, what a shame really. "I suggest you help me load his ass in the van and get us back to headquarters. We have some business to settle, you see,"

She was met with nothing but blank stares.

"I don't think you're understanding me. If you _don't _help me," this was the point in her speech where she pulled out a rigged explosive from the Joker's coat, "I'll blow all of us to kingdom come,"

Again with the silence.

"_**NOW!"**_

Finally realizing the urgency and utter sincerity in her threats, the lackies jumped into action. The ones at the stationed at the training facilities picked up what they were doing before the incident and the ones that came with us rushed to get to their places in the van. Tyrone took driver's seat while Katherine tended to her arm in the back. Colin and Sean supported the Joker in the middle after a long struggle to bring him to the car. Aurora sat passenger seat, grinning frenziedly as the city breezed past her on their rush back to the warehouse. She would finally get the answered she deserved.

She loved when the deck dealt a wild card, it made things so terribly…_interesting._

_XXX_

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE_**

**__**_Hey, guys! I know this is inexcusably late but laptop crashes, AP classes and such nonsense have prevented me from writing. I apologize wholeheartedly and will try my hardest to continue updating to the best of my ability. I still love writing this story so there should be much, much more of it to come. Anyway, I hope you like it and I'd LOVE to hear what you think about it. Seriously, criticism is the best gift a writer can receive, even if it's negative. _

**_Ex's and Oh's_**

**_Audrey V. Sullivan_**


	6. Chapter 6: Hey there, Rock Bottom!

The flickering light swung overhead, casting an uneven light on the barren cement walls. The room was empty besides an unconscious man tied tightly to the chair and a woman standing over him, waiting. The twins were standing guard on the other side of the door while Tyrone was begrudgingly helping Katherine tend to her shoulder wound in the bathroom upstairs. That left Aurora alone with the Joker in the basement, seemingly with the upper hand.

That's the thing about wild cards, though. You never know which way your luck could go.

Aurora thought herself to be pretty lucky at the moment. So far she had successfully knocked out the Clown Prince of Crime, had him tied up in his own basement, captured his men's loyalty, and she didn't even break a nail. In a few minutes he'd wake up and she would finally have her answers.

She hoped he wouldn't talk willingly.

She hoped he would make it fun for her.

He began to stir quicker than she anticipated, his eyeballs rolling under their lids. His tongue darted across his lips in his usual fashion before his eyes opened. He took a moment to inspect the top quality rope that was binding him, a moment longer to glance at his surroundings before he spoke to Aurora.

"Is this really necessary, _Doll_?"

"Quite." She sneered.

"Why? Where's the fun in that?" he countered, completely at ease.

"The fun is me finding out what I need to know."

"And what exactly do you, uh,_ need_ to know?"

"A lot of things, honestly. But we'll start with the basics."

He rolled his eyes. "What makes you think I'll cooperate?"

She imitated him, "Incase you haven't noticed, I'm the one holding the fucking knife."

"Oh, I've noticed." The Joker mocked, "What was wrong with the, uh, _gun_?"

"Don't like them. They're impersonal."

"Then why'd ya use one before?"

"They're effective. Especially on a large group of people. But the knife brings true pain."

"You want to cause me true pain?" The joker asked skeptically.

"The only man I want to suffer true pain is Maroni. I will inflict true pain upon you, however, if you don't tell me what I need to know."

"Well, then stop repeating yourself and get to the question asking portion of this little pop quiz already!" The joker yelled impatiently. She was rather skilled at tying ropes, apparently, because he found no way out, and for him there was _always_ a way out.

His prize for his outburst was a slap to the back of the head. "You'll find that I'm the one conducting this little interview. " She punctuated her statement with a shallow, horizontal cut on his left ungloved wrist.

"Someone's testy today."

"You're damn right I'm testy.," She made an identical slash on the right wrist for good measure. "You bring me here under the guise of 'needing my help' and then in training today you fucking attack me. What the fuck is that about?"

"It was about exactly what I said it was about. Fast thinking. Keeping you on your toes."

"Why did you bring me here, and no bullshit lies either."

"You're asking the wrong questions." He tsked.

She began tracing the blade between his fingers, "Then what are the _right_ questions?

"'Why did you come?' perhaps?"

"Why I'm still fucking here is a better one." She countered.

"We already know the answer to that one though, don't we?" He leered.

"Do we?" She smirked back, "Why don't you tell me why I'm still here if you already know?"

"It's because I'm irresistible, _doll._ I'm dangerous, and that, uh, that does something for you. It always has."

"There you go again, pretending you know me. "

"That's because I do, darling. There's no pretending."

She shook her head, letting her hair fall in her face. She stepped back, needing a minute away from him, a minute to think. This wasn't going at all like she planed it. She planned to slash him to ribbons if that's what it meant to get what she needed, not sit practically in his lap exchanging light hearted banter. She needed to regroup, come at it from a different angle.

"Did I take it too far, doll?" The joker mocked, trying to push her, trying to force her to realize the truth.

"What are you trying to do exactly? You obviously don't fear me or take me seriously."

"You're still not getting it are you?" The joker shook his head as if he was disappointed. Aurora could not understand why. "I take you _very _seriously, doll. You're my latest and greatest project. "

"And what does that mean exactly?"

"I've been working on you for years, you just don't notice it yet. Its not coming together for you, but it will. Soon."

"What are you talking about?"

"It will all be so clear. You'll understand. And then you'll be there. On the other side of the cliff, the rock bottom. You'll join me and you'll understand and you won't be sad anymore! It will all make sense! It will all make sense just in time for the world to burn and it will be so….funny!" He cackled, his face split in half by a malignant grin. He was rocking in his chair, off his rocker, his eyes wild.

She had never been afraid of him before, but at that moment of complete chaos, she couldn't handle it. She needed to leave and she did.

She ignored the twin's outbursts, their need for direction. She needed direction of her own. She needed a cigarette.

She climbed the crumbling-away, cement staircase out of the basement and into the hidden parking lot where the van was collecting frost on its wiper blades. She was thankful she smoked 100's; she couldn't image having to deal with a short right now. She was beyond irritated, and that was the most irritating part. Before she got into this whole mess she promised she would come out on top; but look at her now, reigns in hand without a fucking clue where to go. Why did he get under her skin so badly? She knew he had a knack for it, but really? Not even a week and she's loosing her cool? _There has to be something more. Think Aurora!_

She gazed into the back window of the van and watched her own reflection pace back and forth. She paused suddenly and stood so close to the glass that her nose was pressed against her reflection's nose, until emerald green glared down a duller pair of emerald greens.

"It's in the reflection. The words. It's a mirror. His eyes. Mirror." She mumbled, speaking her thoughts out loud so her reflection could understand as well. She was having a break through and she needed this ulterior version of herself to understand, so she could help pick out the joker's ulterior version. The one he keeps bottled inside his eyes, hidden by grease paint.

She cast her half-smoked cigarette aside, struck by inspiration. She stomped back inside with conviction, apparently enough to make the twins leap out of her way before she could swing the door open.

The joker glanced up with the cocked brow and that smug smirk. "I'd knew you'd back. Didn't think it'd be this soon though, I'll admit,"

Aurora said nothing. She simply sat down in the chair facing his and listened.

"What Bat's got your tongue?

"I sure hope not! That really would lower the reputation of our, uh, fine establishment here.

"We uh, can't have the bosses running around with the enemy.

"The employees might get a little suspicious. Not that I have very loyal employees. We'll have to talk about that by the way. It uh, wasn't very _nice _to take my henchmen. I don't like to share my toys. You got that?

"Auroooora?

"Rooooory?

"_Dollface?_

"Fine. Don't talk to me." The joker stuck out his tongue and leaned back in his chair. Aurora watched his eyes, waiting for the true reflection.

She was nowhere near prepared for it when it came. It was about ten minutes into their dead silent glare-off. The joker was fidgeting, uncomfortable by the silence or Aurora's gaze. She looked at him with the stare of the dead, trying in vain to see beyond the grease paint until it wasn't futile anymore. Until she understood.

"You son of a FUCKING BITCH!" Aurora roared, eyes widening in terror. She immediately leaped out of her chair and bitchslapped the joker, the sound of her palm colliding with his cheek was enough to appease her anger for a second. And then she was full on assaulting him again, adrenaline fueling her rage.

"I CANNOT FUCKING BELIEVE YOU! ALL THIS FUCKING TIME! ALL THIS FUCKING TIME AND YOU WERE RIGHT FUCKING HERE!" She punctuated every "fuck" with a fist to the nose.

"AFTER ALL THE SHIT I WENT THROUGH? AFTER ALL THE SHIT WE WENT TRHOUGH TOGETHER? YOU GO AND PULL THIS SHIT?" She emphasized every "shit" with a kick to the ribs.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?"

The joker was on the floor now, still tied to the chair that had fallen on its side. Aurora was bent over him, screaming mercilessly in his face while clawing and kicking every exposed inch of flesh she could find.

She remembered her knife and began hacking. She carved away at his flesh as if somehow that could bring back the years they lost. "YOU SELFISH SICK SON OF BITCH! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME? WHY DID YOU LET ME THINK YOU WERE DEAD?

"I FUCKING WISH YOU WERE DEAD! MORE IMPORTANTLY I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU WISH _YOU_ WERE FUCKING DEAD! I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU FUCKING BEG FOR DEATH, YOU PATHETHIC FUCKING LIAR!

"Aurora, wait!" he begged, choking on his own blood.

"NO! FUCK YOU! I'VE DONE MY WAITING! NINE FUCKING YEARS OF IT THINKING YOU WERE WORM FOOD, YOU FUCKING SCUMBAG!"

"Don't you want to know why? Don't you want to know why I did it?" the joker temped, spitting blood onto her face and clothes in the process.

"I can't believe it. I can't believe it. I can't beli—"

_**SWITCH! **_–-it happens that fast. You're another person. You're instincts kick in. You start to deal. You stop to deal. You're paralyzed-

"Don't you want to see Jack again? Untie me and you can." The joker persuaded.

"No. Jack is dead. He's gone. He's done. Just like I'm done with you." She whispered, rising on her shaking knees. She needed to get out of here. She grabbed the knife and backed out of the room slowly, her eyes never once leaving his.

His eyes were a window to the soul, and the picture frame for the ghost of her dead fiancé. Jack would never exist again outside of those eyes. She knew that and she needed to get away from it.

The lies; they reflected what she saw when she looked inside the back window of the van and saw herself.

She ignored the shouts of the twins and continued out of the basement, out of the parking lot. She stumbled down the alley, covered in blood holding a knife in broad daylight.

_Hey, there Rock Bottom! Never expected to see you so soon! Never pictured you'd be this_ red, _either_.

Her deepest, most innermost wish had been granted and it was exactly what she never wanted.

She dropped the knife and began running.

**_XXXXXXXX_**

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE_**

**_Wow, it's been a long time! So first I'd just like to say sorry. I'm lame. A whole bunch of life stuff happened, yadda yadda. Point is, I decided to write this chapter and publish it. It's nowhere near what I wanted it to be, since I had this scene planned from the beginning. I don't think it was right the way I left the story off before, without even letting you guys know the biggest secret. So here it is. The Joker is Jack. I'm not sure If I'm going to write more, I might. We'll just have to see what happens. DOES ANYONE SUPER WANT ME TO CONTINUE THIS? I'm more motivated when I have cheerleaders/someone to talk about the story. Anyway, this is too long. I've missed you guys and again, I'm super sorry for being a lame-butt and leaving you with a cliff hanger like that!_**


	7. Chapter Seven: He Called Me Kitten

Aurora didn't know where she was going, but she kept walking. She figured if she just kept walking straight she'd end up somewhere eventually. But that was a lie.

She wasn't thinking of anything.

She purposefully blocked out all thought, because if she began to start thinking about anything, she would think about that one thing she couldn't afford to think about and it would be over.

The sidewalk was a melancholy gray; she focused on that. The cement was littered with cracks. She tried to avoid them, to spare her mother's back, then she remembered her mother was dead.

Just like Jack wasn't.

It happened just like that.

She lost all her meaning, all her purpose, all her drive, and all her will to survive.

All these years, she was only alive to avenge Jack.

But it was all a lie.

She turned the corner and slumped against the brick wall of the dilapidated building. The building was decaying and so was she. For a moment she wondered if the building would collapse around her, swallow her whole. But that was only wishful thinking.

She couldn't fight it anymore. Wheezing cut the silence, and she cursed herself. She promised she wouldn't do this. Where did all her anger go? All that wrath that caused her to beat Jack nearly to death? She guessed the adrenaline died out, just when she needed the courage.

It was easy to yell in his face, easy to hate him and curse him and wish he was dead when she was staring into his painted face. But she was away from him now, and she could only see the Jack of eighteen. Her Jack.

_How did we get so tainted? How did we become these horrible, lying, bloodthirsty monsters? How could he do it? Why didn't he come find me? I waited; I waited for so long-_

She couldn't close the floodgates once they opened. She didn't even know if she wanted to. When was the last time she cried, or more importantly cried openly? Didn't she have the right to relinquish the image of strength when she no longer had any true strength to show? For the moment she was content to weep until she dehydrated herself and then stay there a little longer, until she began to blend into the brick. She didn't feel like hunting down Maroni or even going back to demand answers from Jack. She didn't think she would feel like doing anything else but crying for a long while and that scared her.

"Aw, now, what's a preeety lil' thing like you doin' out here all alone? Cryin' no less?" a man's voice shattered the glass of silence, sending shards into Aurora's skin.

Looking up, she noticed the rag-covered stranger was closer than he should be. "Listen, you really don't want to do this right now. You want to turn around and go back where you came from," Aurora advised.

"Look at you!" The man cackled, revealing a blackened, gapping grin and the breath of the dead. "What a feisty kitten!" He was only a few feet away now, blocking Aurora between the wall and his body.

He reached a grimy hand over her shoulder and rested his palm against the wall, leering as he did so. "We're gonna have some real fun, you an' me."

"You really shouldn't have done that," Aurora sighed. She took his cackling as her opportunity to grab her knife from her garter.

She took him by surprise, grabbing him by the balls with one hand and shoving him against the wall with the other. She held the blade close to his jugular with a leer of her own. The shock and terror engulfing his entire person, shining in his eyes, struck a match somewhere deep inside Aurora. That match fell into a gallon of gasoline and rekindled the flame that had been snuffed out by the Joker's secret.

Rekindled her passion for the kill.

"I'm guessing you made a lot of mistakes in your life buddy, but you've just made your last one," She snickered, plunging the blade into the vein before retracting it. She didn't stop slicing and hacking until his neck was flayed open, until his blood and chucks of his meat were sprayed onto her face and clothes.

She let him drop like the nothing he was, smiled at the sight of his disfigured body crumpled on the pavement. She took a few steps back to the other side of the alley, needing distance to fully appreciate her work. She lit a cigarette and contemplated what had just happened. With fresh blood on her hands, her mind was finally clear.

She realized then, that going back was her only option.

XXX

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. __**FUCK.**_

It was NOT supposed to be like this. The Joker had planned everything out and it was NOT supposed to go like this. Just goes to show why he never used plans. They got messy, and they never went right. This one straight blew up in his face.

He's not supposed to loose. That's something that he wasn't used to, something that was just unacceptable. He needed to get her back. He couldn't give up on her now, not when he was so close. _She_ couldn't give up on him now!

But what could he do to get her back? Judging from the way she left things, he didn't think she'd be too receptive to an apology. Not that he would even give one. That was just something he had never done and would never do. He had to be clever. But he couldn't use a plan; he saw how well that worked for him last time.

The twins had untied him once they were sure she had left and he immediately sprinted up to his lab. He didn't even waste the time to fire them for their disloyalty He needed to focus on the most pertinent matter at hand: getting Aurora back.

Her leaving him the way she did woke something up inside of the Joker that he thought that died: Jack.

XXX

Aurora was just finishing up with her cigarette and preparing herself to go back to the warehouse when the Joker appeared in her peripheral vision. She froze for a second, completely caught off guard. She was counting on the walk back to get ready to face him again. Seeing him there, looking almost timid, in his full Joker glory…she wasn't prepared for that.

She considered sprinting in the opposite direction but he called out to her, "Stop! Just wait, hear me out!"

"Why should I?" she retorted.

"Because I can answer all your questions." He knew he had her. "After I'm done explaining what, uh, really happened you can leave. At any point you can leave. I know you're gonna want to hear what I have to say."

"You know, you're too damn cocky for your own good."

"It's one of the things you love about me," He smirked.

"Don't." She warned, walking past him.

Sensing a change of subject was in need, the Joker asked, "What happened to him?"

"He called me kitten." Aurora deadpanned.

"Certainly a valid reason, indeed."

"Like you haven't killed people for less?"

"I can't dispute that."

They fell into one of the tensest silences she had ever experienced. Even more terribly awkward than when her parents told her they were the reason her body was carved up. They both sped up their pace, fighting to get back to the building.

She was thankful the street was pretty much dead. She could only image what a spectacle they were making. A sorry looking Joker in full attire with a positively livid girl willingly leading the path back to his hideout. She let out an audible sigh once they reached the warehouse.

She continued to stomp up all the stairs and slam all the doors. Both Aurora and the Joker ignored the Twins blabbering to get their attention the second they walked through the door, and continued up to their top-floor apartment.

She plopped down on a couch in the living room she never sat on before. She figured she might as well take the opportunity to sit on it now because she was convinced she would be leaving as soon as this little chat was over. As far as she was concerned, there wasn't anything he could say to change her mind.

The joker sat in the chair opposite of her, instead of next to her on the couch. A wise decision, indeed. He stared at her and she stared right back, neither of them saying a word.

"Well, go ahead. Explain yourself." Aurora demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. The Joker sighed, running a hand over his face. "Actually, why don't you go wash that ridiculous make-up off of your face? I'm tired of the Joker. My issues are with Jack."

The Joker got up, but before disappearing in the bathroom he turned back toward her, "We're one in the same. "

She knew it was true, she saw Jack living inside his eyes, but she couldn't accept it. She didn't want to. She could accept what she had become, but she didn't want the same for Jack. It was easier when he was dead, when there was still hope for his soul.

When he came back from the bathroom, he wasn't the Joker anymore but he wasn't Jack either. He was someone Aurora had never met.

"So, here I am. Without the make up. This is what Jack has become."

Aurora scoffed but didn't say anything. This was not because she didn't have anything to say, but because she didn't know the right way to phrase it.

"What do you want me to say, Aurora. I can't change the past. But I can try to explain it."

"Can you? Because I'm lost right now. I don't know who you are, and now I don't know who I am either. "

"But why?"

"Because, Jack!" Aurora paused upon saying his name aloud. "I don't even think you understand how difficult it is to say your name."

"Why, It doesn't have to—"

"To be like this? Well, how the fuck do you want it to be like? What the fuck were you expecting? For me to be happy?"

"Well, yeah—"

"Too much time has passed. We don't even know each other anymore. My entire life has been about avenging you; my entire person has been changed by an overwhelming need to murder Maroni ever since I thought you died. And now, it's all a lie."

"But it's not a lie, Aurora! Don't you get it? Jack did die in the fire. He killed himself."

"Why are you talking about yourself in the third person! You are Jack!"

"But I'm not. You've even said it yourself. I am, but I'm not. Up until I found you, or if I'm being really honest, up until you left today, I thought Jack had died. But he's here, he's just not who I am anymore. I'm the Joker now."

"But why did you become the Joker? How did you end up this way?"

"Well, how did Scarlet come about? For vengeance. I know you think that I left you, that I let you think I died. But does that sound like me? Does that sound like Jack?"

"What other explanation is there? I saw your house that night, talked to the police. He told me that nobody survived. How are you still here? More importantly, if you were still alive why didn't you come back for me?"

"I did." He whispered so quietly Aurora almost missed it.

"What?"

"I came back for you. But it was already too late. You were gone."

"What?" She repeated, her head spinning.

"That night, at dinner. My mom was cooking and I was downstairs helping her. We thought my dad was passed out in his room, but he wasn't. He was upstairs in my room, he thought I was hiding something and he was right. He found my closet cleaned out and my bags pack. When he confronted me about it, I, uh, told him our plan."

Jack stood up and began pacing back and forth in front of the couch. He brought his hand up his chin and avoided Aurora's eyes while telling the rest of the story.

"My father clocked me in the jaw and my mom started sobbing. That just caused my father to hit me harder and yell in my face about what a disappointment I was. And I just lost it. I started hitting him back and screaming back that it was his fault.

"He, uh, he didn't like that. He took the pan my mom was using to fry up onions off of the stove and smashed me in the back of the head with it. He grabbed a carving knife off of the table and kept me pinning to the floor with his hips. He stuck the blade in my knife and did this," he pointed to his mouth.

"My mom started to the call the cops and my dad finally stopped cutting my face to go stop her. He was still holding the knife, and even though I could barely see through the blood I knew that wasn't good. I pulled myself and grabbed a butcher's knife from the block and without even thinking about it I stabbed my father in the back. And then before he fell down, I took it out and shoved it back in. I stabbed him again and again until I was sure he wouldn't get back up.

"But it was too late. My mom was already dead. I wasn't quick enough. I grabbed the phone my mom as holding and heard the dispatcher tell me an ambulance would be there in ten minutes.

"I was on auto-pilot, running on adrenaline. Dripping a trail of blood to the basement, I grabbed a can of gasoline and walked back upstairs. I doused the fine Persian rugs and the suede couches before drenching bloody clothes on my parents' bodies. I lit a match and threw it on my father's face.

"The last thing I remember is passing out in the woods on the secret trail that lead to your house. I woke up a few days later poorly stitched up lying on a cot in the back room of Maroni's bar. He told me that he knew who I was, and that for saving my life I would owe him one day.

"I ran straight from the bar to your house, but your aunt told me she found your bed empty that morning and a note that said you had no reason to stay and weren't coming back. I went back to Maroni and enlisted that day. You know the rest.

Aurora was speechless and Jack was still pacing. She didn't know what to say, couldn't fathom what had happened. She still wanted to blame him, but now she knew that she couldn't. She was about to say something, although she didn't know what, to calm him down but before she could get the words out he slammed him fists into the wall, shattering the plaster around his fists.

"DAMNIT!" He exclaimed. "DAMN IT! DAMN IT!"

"What is your problem?"

"I'm not supposed to be Mr. Sensitive, up here with your blabbing about my soap opera past. I'm supposed to be the fucking Joker! I'm supposed to be blowing up a bus of school children or something!"

"But why do you_ have_ to be that man?"

"Because like you said. Too much time has passed. That's all I know how to be now. I don't know how to be Jack. I'm not the man you loved."

"Then why the fuck did you bring me here? I mean, what was your plan?"

"I don't believe in plans."

"Don't give me that bullshit. Other people might believe that. But I don't."

"I brought you here to break you. I thought if I could make you like me then maybe you'd understand."

"'Like you?' What is that supposed to mean?"

"Heartless. Ruthless. Without emotion. Blood thirsty."

"You wanted me to be like that? More importantly you want me to believe you're like that?"

"How could you think I'm not? You know what I've done, what I plan to do. How could you think I'm anything but that? I even tried to kill you!"

"But you didn't. And you wouldn't. More importantly, you did all of this to make me understand. You still love me."

"What?! I do not. I'm not even capable of love."

"I don't believe that." Aurora countered, walking over to him.

"Oh, yeah?" The Joker posed, extracting a knife from his coat. "Are you sure about that?"

"I'm positive."

He ran the tip of the blade over her shoulders to rest against the hollow of her throat. "I could kill you so easily right now. It wouldn't even mean a thing to me, you know?"

"We both know that's not true."

"What do I have to do to prove to you that I'm the Joker now, not the Jack you once knew?"

"Make that true."

He made a few shallow cuts on her shoulders, and then wiped the cuts with his fingers. He brought his pointer finger to his mouth and sucked away the blood.

"You think you're this big bad serial killer, now, and that may be true. But you're not different than the Jack that I still love. "

"How can you even say that?"

"Sure you have a high body count, but so do I. You're bitter, enraged, sarcastic, vindictive and cruel, and all together fucking crazy probably even more since the last time we met. But you're not different. You always had this side to you, and I always knew that. It didn't change anything back then. It doesn't now."

"You want to be with me? How? I'm a monster."

"And I'm bat shit insane, but what can we do? You can't change love."

They paused for a second, staring into each other's eyes. "What do we do now?" Jack asked.

"This," She smirked, flinging her dress onto the floor before grasping his shocked face in her hands and smashing their lips together.

_**XXX**_

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys! So, I got really motivated to write another chapter. And I have to admit that Curiouser-and-Curiouser101 is a huge part of that. I really want to thank you for the comment. It really meant a lot to me. I know the feeling of NEEDING a story to continue but it never does, until it FINALLY happens. And then the author never updates again. I'm going to try really hard not to do that and to continue this story until the end. **_

_**I also realize that my last author's note didn't make much sense. Sorry for that. What I meant is that Aurora finally REALIZES the Joker was Jack. **_

_**Anyway, as always. I hope you like the update. Let me know what you think, good or bad. Everything and anything helps. (:**_


	8. Chapter Eight: With a Cherry on Top

"So…?" Aurora asked, breaking the comfortable silence. She ran her fingers over the scars on his chest, trying to count them all but loosing track every time.

"'What now?'" Jack guessed.

"Yeah,"

"Well," he sighed, "I can't be the man I used to be. There's too much blood on my hands for that. But I do know that I love you…however that works. It contradicts everything I've been for the last eight years."

"And I never stopped loving you," Aurora sat up to look directly into Jack's eyes, and rest her back against his many purple pillows.

"But I'm not Jack anymore. And nobody can ever know about Jack." The Joker stated in a tone that made it very clear that this was an order.

"They don't have to."

"They can't. Because if they know about Jack, they'll know about you."

"So?"

"They'll use you to get to me,"

"What makes you think they'll be able to get to me?"

"Aurora…" Jack began.

"No, you see, that's your problem! You're still thinking of me as Aurora."

"What are you talking about?"

"If Jack is dead then so is Aurora."

"_If _we're assuming that's true, what do you want me to call you? Scarlet?"

"Nope!"

Jack simply raised his eyebrow.

"I'm tired of Aurora and Scarlet, too. I think I'll try out 'Sleeping Beauty' for a while. Whatdaya think?"

"Yeah, that's clever all right, but—"

"But what? You don't like?"

"No, it's not that. Its just…all your clothes are red."

Aurora choked on the water she was trying to drink and almost spilt the half empty glass all over the down blanket in her laughter.

"What?" Jack demanded, brows automatically furrowing in defense. Except without his makeup, Aurora could envision the dimples that used to rest on his cheeks in place of the scars.

"It's silly, really. That problem has such a simple solution! Shopping trip!"

Jack groaned, but didn't say anything in protest. If he had learned anything about women, especially Aurora, it was that no one could stand between her and retail therapy.

"So you're going to stay then?"

Aurora paused at his question. Probably because it actually was a question, instead of a demand. He was reminding her that the choice was completely up to her. But that was a lie; she never had a choice, not really. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Excellent!" The Joker cackled, pinning her to the bed in a mad frenzy. And even though his face was clear of war paint, from staring into his eyes she knew that Jack had been suppressed. The man straddling her thighs, tying her limbs to the bedposts with ropes he kept on hand in nightstand drawer, _that _man was the Joker.

"What are you doing, Jack?" She hoped the sound of his name would remind him.

"What I've been dying to do for the past eight years."

"But we already—"

"Oh, no _Dollface._ That was nice, but not what I desire. What I _crave_." He purred, whipping the blanket off of the bed.

"And what's that?"

"Total domination of your body and your soul."

Aurora couldn't fight the shiver that ran down her spine at his words. She was completely exposed to him, bound so tightly she could feel the rope cutting into her wrists and ankles. She saw the gleam of utter malice in his eyes, but somehow she still felt safe.

"Good luck,"

The Joker snickered, reaching again for the nightstand drawer. "I'm not the one that needs luck, princess,"

Aurora's eyes narrowed on the knife he was extracting, although she tried her damnedest to hide her apprehension. Did it even matter if I die, she thought and he traced the blade over the most prominent scar on her body, the one that ran from scalp to toe.

"We'll kill Maroni together, but only after you thank him. If he never scarred you, you'd never be free." He punctuated his statement with a very shallow cut. A cut that started at the left corner of her lip and went upward in a half smile, crossing Maroni's scar and ending at her ear. "And now you're bound to me, but free from me, too."

He crashed his lips against hers, favoring the left side of her mouth. He ran his tongue across the cut and then sat back again to grin at her discomfort. His infamous smile had returned.

"You taste so good," He whispered, tracing the vein on her wrist. He lapped up the blood with noisy kisses that lead to her clavicle. The cuts stung, but in a way that felt better than she could have imagined. She was squirming to get closer, but her bounds kept her virtually motionless.

"Ahtt-taah-tahh!" The Joker wiggled a finger in her face. "Not so fast, darling. I tied you up for a reason. To keep you exactly where _I _want you."

"Well, what about what_ I_ want?"

"Doesn't matter."

"That isn't f-!"

A rubber ball from a ball gag being shoved into her mouth cut her off.

"I'm sorry, dear. But you were really starting to get on me nerves," The Joker chuckled, repositioning himself over her thighs and picking up the knife "Right, now where we?"

Aurora wanted to shout at him to get this damn ball gag out of her mouth this instance, but that's the thing about being gagged; you're ultra frightening threats of cutting off genitals with rusty hedge clippers and sautéing them with a little lime and cilantro for lunch sounded more like "mhmhhfff mhmmm mnnhh mmmmf!"

He traced his index finger from her left ear, over the fresh cut, across her lips and then straight down to her areola where he paused. "It's useless to fight me, dear,"

He warned, taking her nipple between his fingers and squeezing. "Besides, you like it."

"Ffmmhhck mmmmnuu!" _Fuck you for being right._

"Now don't be mad at me. It's not my fault your arousal is so…evident," the Joker purred, swiping two fingers between her legs before bringing them up to her lips. He forced his fingers inside her mouth, forcing to taste her own wetness before he did the same. "Deeeee-licious!"

"Even wetter the second time around.

"Are you ready for me, baaaybeee doll?

"We'll that's_ too_ bad." He tossed his head back in laughter, his eyes squinting into two thin black slits and his grin widening to reveal decaying, yellow teeth.

She wanted him. She wanted him to stop with all the bullshit and just _**fuck her already.**_ But she knew he wouldn't do that. She knew the only way he'd be satisfied is if he got to play out his little game.

She wouldn't admit it, even to herself, but playing along only turned her on more.

Closing her eyes, in agonizing pleasure as Jack's teeth clamped around her nipple, she realized how truly fucked up she had become. Opening her eyes, with a guttural moan, she realized she didn't care.

"Are you going to behave now?"

Aurora nodded her head furiously. As soon as he removed the gag, she demanded, "Fuck me."

"No."

"_Please_, fuck me?"

"No."

"Pretty, pretty please with the Batman's head on top?"

"You're gonna have to do a little better than that to convince me," He snickered, running the tip of the blade from her right knee up to her thigh.

She paused for a minute, considering the consequences, "Untie me."

"'Untie you'? Oh, I don't think so, precious. "

"Why not? Don't you trust me?"

"It has nothing to do with trusting you, and all to do with_ knowing_ you." He purred, flipping the knife around in his hand. He rubbed the cold steel handle against her clit in a painfully slow, circular pattern.

She stared him straight in the eyes, trying to ignore the tingling feeling spreading between her thighs. "Untie me and I'll behave." Taking a page from his book, her tongue darted across her bottom lip. "I'll exceed your, _um,_ expectations."

Chuckling, he replied, "I'll untie you when I'm gooood and ready."

She slumped down into the bed.

"Now don't look so glum. This means good things for you. _Very good things_," He was shaking his head "no" the entire time he was speaking, moving the handle of the knife lower, until it was threatening to enter her.

She accepted her role, tried not to think about it. Until it almost actually started to feel good, just when she was beginning to forget it was the handle of a knife penetrating her most intimate part. She almost forgot what was really happening until she let out the faintest of moans, barely audible. Jack ripped out the knife and before she could even blink, he was pinning her left thigh down. He made two slashes, deeper than he had ever cut her before. Looking down she saw that where her main scar was, there was now a bloody "J" stemming out of it.

He had marked her twice that night.

"You sure I can trust you enough to untie those?"

She swallowed, trying to see past the pain in her thigh to speak. "Yes."

"Keep. Your. Word," He warned, undoing the restraints, "You don't want to know what happens to princesses who misbehaves, _Rory,"_

"Why don't you teach me? Just in case?"

_When will you learn to shut up?_

The left side of his scar turned up into a horrific grimace before he shoved Aurora to the ground with one hand. "Get on your knees."

She couldn't help it. She was a terrible person. Those four simple words in that combination churned her core with desire like the whore she knew she was.

She did as she was told.

Jack sat before her on the bed, semi-hard, while she knelt before him, now at the perfect height, bruising her knees on the hardwood floor. "It's not going to suck itself,"

She stored the comment away in the recesses of her mind to be dealt with later. She gripped him member with tentative hands until she leaned in closer and ran her tongue across the head. The spot of precum that dripped onto her tongue was enough to remind her. She welcomed him in her mouth like an old friend, all hesitation banished.

She had forgotten the feel of him thrusting in and out of her mouth in the past eight years. She would admit it wasn't one of the things she missed most. What she had missed however, was looking up. When she was gagging, Jack resting deep in her throat, what kept her going was glancing up to catch him biting his lip or scrunching his nose. Nearly choking was worth seeing that single instance of control, when his guard was down most. It wasn't that she wanted to take advantage of him then, but just the fact that she knows that _she_ did that.

Without thinking about it, her unoccupied hand ran dangerously far up his leg. She began to stroke the sensitive skin there, subconsciously remembering how his body used to respond when she did so. She wasn't expecting a backlash.

"What exactly are you trying to do?"

"What? I-" Snapping out of the moment, she paused her actions and looked down "I, oh, um, I thought you liked that?"

"Oh, I do, _but_…" He said, running his hand over his face. "But I have other plans for right now."

"Wha—OOOHH!" She exclaimed as the Joker pushed her hands aside and then yanked her over his shoulder onto the bed. "What was that for?"

"Better view, " He answered, watching her flip her waist long hair out of her face as she settled down on her side. Her legs were parted and her back was twisted upwards, as if she had been posed for a Penthouse centerfold. It wasn't fair.

"Now is it time?" Aurora groaned, anxiously. She was seventeen again with a warp speed libido.

"Someone's gagging for it…and no! Not quite yet," he cackled, climbing onto the bed behind her on all fours.

"What are you doing?" She asked without turning around.

"Finishing our lesson on what happens to girls who misbehave," He punctuated his sentence with a slap to her left ass check. And then another to the right. And then another, and another and another until her backside was raw and red with several half-distinguishable handprints at all different angels.

She surprised them both by moaning, even though she almost felt tears wells in her eyes out of instinct. She fought them away and was glad she did because a second later, Jack leaned down over her until his lips were at the crux of her neck to whisper "now it's time" before biting down on her shoulder.

He chose that exact moment to enter her from behind, all at once without any hesitation or indication. He gave her no time to adjust to his large size, and instead began to pick up a slightly erratic, but far from slow-and-gentle pace. If they hadn't just been at it half and hour ago, she was sure her body wouldn't have taken it. Already her walls felt stretched to their limit, but at the same time snug around Jack. He moved hectically, pulling out of her completely and then slamming his hips to hers.

His fingers glided across her hips before moving onto her stomach, and then slid downward. His thumb circled her clit, matching the rhythm of his thrusts with a variance in pressure. "Fuck!"

"I think I'm already doing that,"

"Harder."

She heard him snicker before he grabbed her by the hips and thrust them upward, pushing her face down into the pillow. Just as she asked, he increased the pace coming at her from a new, more dynamic angle.

He was handling her with complete disregard, which stung in bitter contrast to their previous session in the sheets she now gripped tightly in her hands, as Jack pounded into her from behind. Except he wasn't Jack at the moment, and that was important she thought. Right now, the man inside of her wasn't a man at all, but a monster: The Joker.

She had no doubt that he was holding back significantly, but as he bruised her body with his, there was no love in his touch, his movement. It was all about power right now, his power over her.

He clenched his fist around a chunk of her hair, and pulled upward, until he was breathing heavily on her neck. "This hard enough for you,"

The angle was making her choke on her own saliva; all she could do was nod.

"I thought you would," He snickered, shoving her head back down into the pillow as he increased the pace even further. The bed squeaked against the hardwood floor with every thrust, and Aurora was convinced they'd fall through the ceiling at any minute now.

Undignified by her own pleasure, she felt the pressure between her eyes rising to an uncomfortable level. She didn't know if she could hold on much longer, and more importantly what consequences that would have for her.

He pulled out of her completely, turning her over so she was pinned on her back to the mattress underneath him. "You can't _come_," He said sternly, circling her most sensitive spot with the calloused edge of his thumb. "Until I say you can."

Aurora could say she had safely never felt so tortured in her life. She would have preferred water boarding to this, knife play. Not this slow, sensuous torment. All she wanted was to _come,_ goddamnit!

"You've won," she muttered, in a bout of insanity. He was pushed her right over the edge, just like he always wanted. She struggled to reach down and finish the job herself but he had her wrists clasped unforgiving in one hand while the other was teasing her entrance with nimble fingertips.

"Won what exactly?" Jack teased, picking his pace up slightly, sliding his index finger inside her.

"The game you've been playing," She laughed, growing limp underneath him except for her rumbling chest.

"I wasn't aware we were playing a ga—"

"Cut the crap, Jack." Aurora said, forcing eye contact. "You know as well as I do that you're plan all along was to break me. And congratulations! You've succeeded."

"You're thanking me?" He mumbled. He switched his focus back to something he could understand: torture.

"Loving you has made me bat shit insane. And insane people do and say a lot of…messed up….things," Her thoughts were interrupted as finally Jack entered her again, as teasingly as possible, with only an inch inside. He moved at that tortuous inch-by-inch pace until all eight inches was inside.

"You couldn't be more right about that," he chuckled, trailing sloppy kisses down her neck, gaining a rhythm.

His "rhythm" was nothing more than violently slamming their hips together erratically in quick bursts of energy while his middle finger rubbed continuous microscopic circles over her clit, finally flinging her over the cliff, in all senses of the word as they toppled out of the bed. Miraculously, their stilled remained joined and after making sure he was already and she wasn't dead, he picked up his pace.

He came inside her at the same instant as she was coming around him. It was a moment of such intensity, such lack of control that protection was something far,_ far_ from her mind. He collapsed on top of her, pinning me down completely with what she was guessing was only half of his weight. Most people would peg the Joker as having a lankier figure giving the baggy suits he wears, but after spending countless sweaty hours underneath, Aurora figured out that it was all pure muscle. And pure muscle is heavy.

Although she had slight difficulties breathing with him crushing her lungs, she didn't want him to move. For all intents and purposes, he was her blanket right now: warm, soft, and secure. She nuzzled into his neck, inhaling his toxic aroma of gasoline, smoke, grease and hydrangeas.

Jack cleared his throat before getting to his feet and extending his hand to help her up. She took it graciously, carefully to hide the hesitation she felt. Not hesitate that he would betray her, or that she shouldn't get up, but hesitant that she had down something to make him spring up like that.

"So…"Jack said, glancing back and forth equally from the bed to the door and then back to her.

"Can I stay here with you?" She asked, following the same process.

Jack sighed, having to really think about it, and most importantly having to silence the Joker's opinion, "Just don't get used it."

"Just for tonight!" she squealed, giving into the mussed up covers. She pooled them haphazardly around her naked body and fell back into the plush mattress.

"Just for tonight." He reaffirmed, clicking off the lamp on the nightstand. How could he say no to her though? She was actually pouting.

_But let me ask you a question, Jack,_ The Joker cackled in his head, _If you've won, how come you've already lost so much you worked so hard to gain? _

**_XXX_**

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE_**

**_Sooo….there's some free erotica for you guys. I'm trying to develop my skill as using sex as necessary way to characterize or build plot. How did you think I did? Honestly! A good sex scene is really difficult to write, and I would just really love to get better._**

**_Also, I apologize for the rampant grammar/spelling mistakes through out. I'm posting this at 2:30 am because I've been working on it for days and I just really want it to be out there. I'll probably start going through this and making edits though….idk.._**

**_Anyway, like always PLEASE tell me what you think! I'm so excited to be back into the mindset of writing this story!_**


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